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Adevăr sau Provocare
Un debut remarcabil despre o fată aflată la vârsta critică a adolescenţei şi un părinte disperat să afle adevărul înainte de a fi prea târziu.
Callie e acuzată că se comportă agresiv cu colegii ei, dar Rebecca ştie că fata blândă pe care a crescut-o trebuie să fie nevinovată.
După ce este absolvită de vină, Callie începe să primească ameninţări de la cea care a acuzat-o şi, pe măsură ce acestea devin tot mai grave, Rebecca se simte obligată să intervină. Decizia ei o face să-şi amintească de prieteniile şi trădările din propria-i adolescenţă, şi de tragedia care a marcat-o. Acum însă Rebecca nu înţelege cu adevărat ce se întâmplă, iar Callie e în mare pericol.
Această poveste zguduitoare despre intensitatea trăirilor adolescentine şi despre identitatea complexă a unei fete ne dezvăluie cruzimea latentă în fiecare dintre noi şi felul în care impulsurile cele mai întunecate ne pot înstrăina de noi înşine.
Callie e acuzată că se comportă agresiv cu colegii ei, dar Rebecca ştie că fata blândă pe care a crescut-o trebuie să fie nevinovată.
După ce este absolvită de vină, Callie începe să primească ameninţări de la cea care a acuzat-o şi, pe măsură ce acestea devin tot mai grave, Rebecca se simte obligată să intervină. Decizia ei o face să-şi amintească de prieteniile şi trădările din propria-i adolescenţă, şi de tragedia care a marcat-o. Acum însă Rebecca nu înţelege cu adevărat ce se întâmplă, iar Callie e în mare pericol.
Această poveste zguduitoare despre intensitatea trăirilor adolescentine şi despre identitatea complexă a unei fete ne dezvăluie cruzimea latentă în fiecare dintre noi şi felul în care impulsurile cele mai întunecate ne pot înstrăina de noi înşine.
368 pages, Paperback
First published May 12, 2015
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2708 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews
June 14, 2015
I had a difficult time with this book. The writing was good and the story flowed well.
It is a tale of bullying and it's aftereffects.
Without divulging any spoilers,it was difficult for me to work up any sympathy or compassion when the tables are turned.
Perhaps this would be a good book for required reading in High schools,but it is highly unlikely to be impactful to the cowards who harass and debase others.
It is a tale of bullying and it's aftereffects.
Without divulging any spoilers,it was difficult for me to work up any sympathy or compassion when the tables are turned.
Perhaps this would be a good book for required reading in High schools,but it is highly unlikely to be impactful to the cowards who harass and debase others.
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April 29, 2015young teenager on the brink and a parent desperate to find the truth before it’s too late.
A story not limited to the hot topic of bullying it also covers the ties of female friendship, love and loss.
Frankel debuts with a laborious narrative involving a controversial subject matter. Exploring bullying from alternating perspectives from the mean girls handiwork poses quite a reading journey. I admire Frankel’s demanding effort to bring forth dodgy topics.
I enjoyed the varying perspectives. Rebecca struggling to understand the accusations while juggling her belief in Callie. Callie, a girl crossing both lines, victim and tormentor. Yes, she has a challenging history but there’s more to this young girl as we discover with the unfolding of the story. The secretiveness of teen life is a point of focus – scary how they operate covertly, emotions muted or voiced. As a parent you want to maintain a balance of advocate and accuser as we find with Rebecca. Provoking read leaving plenty open for discussion. No doubt you will be asking yourself numerous questions, especially if you are a parent.
I felt Frankel nailed harassment and victimization very well, however, a few areas I found dissatisfying. I felt the narrative in regards to Callie’s history a tad dramatic, seemed overly contrived. The pace of the story was unveiled in such a laggardly manner remaining on task was difficult. I wish character development was stronger towards Callie, I had an understanding of Rebecca but Callie felt vague.
A significant narrative examining a difficult subject matter. Commendable effort on Franel’s part, stalwart inauguration.
Find this and other reviews at http://ravenhairedgirl.com
“Do you know your children?”
A story not limited to the hot topic of bullying it also covers the ties of female friendship, love and loss.
Frankel debuts with a laborious narrative involving a controversial subject matter. Exploring bullying from alternating perspectives from the mean girls handiwork poses quite a reading journey. I admire Frankel’s demanding effort to bring forth dodgy topics.
I enjoyed the varying perspectives. Rebecca struggling to understand the accusations while juggling her belief in Callie. Callie, a girl crossing both lines, victim and tormentor. Yes, she has a challenging history but there’s more to this young girl as we discover with the unfolding of the story. The secretiveness of teen life is a point of focus – scary how they operate covertly, emotions muted or voiced. As a parent you want to maintain a balance of advocate and accuser as we find with Rebecca. Provoking read leaving plenty open for discussion. No doubt you will be asking yourself numerous questions, especially if you are a parent.
I felt Frankel nailed harassment and victimization very well, however, a few areas I found dissatisfying. I felt the narrative in regards to Callie’s history a tad dramatic, seemed overly contrived. The pace of the story was unveiled in such a laggardly manner remaining on task was difficult. I wish character development was stronger towards Callie, I had an understanding of Rebecca but Callie felt vague.
A significant narrative examining a difficult subject matter. Commendable effort on Franel’s part, stalwart inauguration.
Find this and other reviews at http://ravenhairedgirl.com
July 15, 2015
Prediction time: Lauren Frankel will become a popular, successful author of psychological thrillers. And when she does, this will be one of those obscure first novels that only hardcore fans read.
Rebecca is a naïve and trusting 30-something who is raising her best friend’s daughter alone. Callie is a popular 13-year-old who is accused of bullying at school, at which point Rebecca’s world begins to fall apart. Little does she know that Callie’s already has.
This is a fast-paced novel with a fair amount of suspense; I found the plot compelling and read through the book quickly. On the other hand, the plot is a bit predictable. Telling the story out of chronological order gives readers new insight on past events, but also results in a couple of clumsy plot points. The ending is satisfying in some ways, but also perhaps too pat; it feels as if the author was in league with one of the characters, manipulating events in unlikely ways to create maximum impact.
The characters – while unlikely to stand out in my memory – are believable. Frankel seems familiar with teenage slang without overdoing it, and the teens’ online communications read as realistic. As do Rebecca’s and Callie’s views of one another; the teenage years are a time of misunderstandings and false fronts and annoyance with one’s parents (or guardian, in this case), and Frankel captures that dynamic from both sides without turning it into a cliché. Callie’s mean-girl friends are on the stereotypical side. On the other hand, other key friendships between women and girls are more complex: are the characters close friends, or is there romantic love there too? Or is the line between the two as clear as many people assume? Frankel does not succumb to the need to pin down anyone's sexuality, or insert gratuitous romantic subplots, which I appreciate.
Meanwhile, this is a very earnest novel about bullying, and many reviewers who have or teach children have found the depiction of online harassment enlightening. It is certainly timely (the day after I finished this book, NPR ran a story about how our ubiquitous mobile devices mean that kids nowadays can’t ever escape their peers, which we certainly see here). But it devolves into a bit of a Public Service Announcement in the end, and beyond the use of technology, the depiction of bullying is nothing new. The book tries to cover why kids bully, but doesn’t get much further than “some feel pressured into it by their peers” – who knows what motivates the peers doing the pressuring.
Though it covers teenage issues, and the writing is as clean and unremarkable as you would expect from a plot-driven novel, I don’t consider this YA and suspect that it will appeal primarily to adult readers who can relate to the mother figure suddenly out of her depth. I enjoyed reading it, but it feels like a talented writer’s first attempt at a psychological thriller. No doubt her next will be better.
Rebecca is a naïve and trusting 30-something who is raising her best friend’s daughter alone. Callie is a popular 13-year-old who is accused of bullying at school, at which point Rebecca’s world begins to fall apart. Little does she know that Callie’s already has.
This is a fast-paced novel with a fair amount of suspense; I found the plot compelling and read through the book quickly. On the other hand, the plot is a bit predictable. Telling the story out of chronological order gives readers new insight on past events, but also results in a couple of clumsy plot points. The ending is satisfying in some ways, but also perhaps too pat; it feels as if the author was in league with one of the characters, manipulating events in unlikely ways to create maximum impact.
The characters – while unlikely to stand out in my memory – are believable. Frankel seems familiar with teenage slang without overdoing it, and the teens’ online communications read as realistic. As do Rebecca’s and Callie’s views of one another; the teenage years are a time of misunderstandings and false fronts and annoyance with one’s parents (or guardian, in this case), and Frankel captures that dynamic from both sides without turning it into a cliché. Callie’s mean-girl friends are on the stereotypical side. On the other hand, other key friendships between women and girls are more complex: are the characters close friends, or is there romantic love there too? Or is the line between the two as clear as many people assume? Frankel does not succumb to the need to pin down anyone's sexuality, or insert gratuitous romantic subplots, which I appreciate.
Meanwhile, this is a very earnest novel about bullying, and many reviewers who have or teach children have found the depiction of online harassment enlightening. It is certainly timely (the day after I finished this book, NPR ran a story about how our ubiquitous mobile devices mean that kids nowadays can’t ever escape their peers, which we certainly see here). But it devolves into a bit of a Public Service Announcement in the end, and beyond the use of technology, the depiction of bullying is nothing new. The book tries to cover why kids bully, but doesn’t get much further than “some feel pressured into it by their peers” – who knows what motivates the peers doing the pressuring.
Though it covers teenage issues, and the writing is as clean and unremarkable as you would expect from a plot-driven novel, I don’t consider this YA and suspect that it will appeal primarily to adult readers who can relate to the mother figure suddenly out of her depth. I enjoyed reading it, but it feels like a talented writer’s first attempt at a psychological thriller. No doubt her next will be better.
June 23, 2016
This book disappointed me and it might not have had the reviews not been so strong. I won't summarize the plot because to do so will reveal spoilers:
1) The authors use of the TS Eliot figure of "The Hyacinth Girl" is quite strained. It's not at all clear how the characrers---or which characters---are "hyacinth girls" or what makes one a hyacinth girl.
2) The plot focuses on more than one generation and neither is done justice to.
3) the bullying is vivid and realitistic; it's presented in an almost sociological way. This should have been the focus on the novel.
4) I really learned how social media and its immediacy along with cell phones mean that there is no real escape for the bullied person today. That part is appalling.
5) It also helps to know---which I already did---that parents or guardians are often in deep denial about the toxicity that their own child absorbs and emits.
1) The authors use of the TS Eliot figure of "The Hyacinth Girl" is quite strained. It's not at all clear how the characrers---or which characters---are "hyacinth girls" or what makes one a hyacinth girl.
2) The plot focuses on more than one generation and neither is done justice to.
3) the bullying is vivid and realitistic; it's presented in an almost sociological way. This should have been the focus on the novel.
4) I really learned how social media and its immediacy along with cell phones mean that there is no real escape for the bullied person today. That part is appalling.
5) It also helps to know---which I already did---that parents or guardians are often in deep denial about the toxicity that their own child absorbs and emits.
October 20, 2015
Grade: A
Can bullies be victims and victims bullies? And if so, how can you tell them apart?
Rebecca doesn't believe 13 year old Callie is a bully, like the principal claimed in a phone call. The girl she was accused of bullying must have thrown the paint on herself and blamed Callie for attention. Sweet Callie could never do something so cruel. She and her two best friends were nice girl. Sure, Callie had a rough start. Her parents were dead and she was being raised by Rebecca, her mom's best friend. But Callie was a good student, so well adjusted. Wasn't she?
HYACINTH GIRLS grabbed onto me from page one, and I was drawn into Rebecca's story, curious as to how she became Callie's guardian, knowing there was more to the bullying story, wondering how it all ended so tragically that she became a face on a billboard.
Lauren Frankel took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions, theory and intrigue from the first page until the end. The part where Callie told her version of events had me wondering what was real and what was delusion and asking just how reliable a narrator she was.
Don't read too many reviews about HYACINTH GIRLS, you won't want too many clues or inadvertent spoilers that could be contained within the words because you'll want to be surprised by every little twist and turn.
HYACINTH GIRLS is easily one of the best books I've read this year.
Can bullies be victims and victims bullies? And if so, how can you tell them apart?
Rebecca doesn't believe 13 year old Callie is a bully, like the principal claimed in a phone call. The girl she was accused of bullying must have thrown the paint on herself and blamed Callie for attention. Sweet Callie could never do something so cruel. She and her two best friends were nice girl. Sure, Callie had a rough start. Her parents were dead and she was being raised by Rebecca, her mom's best friend. But Callie was a good student, so well adjusted. Wasn't she?
HYACINTH GIRLS grabbed onto me from page one, and I was drawn into Rebecca's story, curious as to how she became Callie's guardian, knowing there was more to the bullying story, wondering how it all ended so tragically that she became a face on a billboard.
Lauren Frankel took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions, theory and intrigue from the first page until the end. The part where Callie told her version of events had me wondering what was real and what was delusion and asking just how reliable a narrator she was.
Don't read too many reviews about HYACINTH GIRLS, you won't want too many clues or inadvertent spoilers that could be contained within the words because you'll want to be surprised by every little twist and turn.
HYACINTH GIRLS is easily one of the best books I've read this year.
June 7, 2015
3.5 stars
I was very excited to read this book based on what I had heard and the description. I felt a bit let down at first as I found the story hard to get into. I had a hard time at first with Rebecca's character. Finding her a bit clueless. However, there was much I did enjoy about the book and once I got into it I did finish it rather quickly.
The story brings up the question of how well do we know our children? Rebecca is the guardian of 13 year old Callie. Callie has been accused of bullying at school but Rebecca feels that this must be a mistake. Is Callie really a bully or is she herself the one being bullied. The story is told through both Callie and Rebecca's POV.
The book very much deals with and offers quite a bit of insight into teenage friendships and the complex issue of bullying. It shows how bullying really can happen sometimes right under our noses to or by the kids we least expect. Bullying has become so prevalent in our society. While some parts of the book are slightly unrealistic all in all a well written book that is important for both adults and teens to read.
I was very excited to read this book based on what I had heard and the description. I felt a bit let down at first as I found the story hard to get into. I had a hard time at first with Rebecca's character. Finding her a bit clueless. However, there was much I did enjoy about the book and once I got into it I did finish it rather quickly.
The story brings up the question of how well do we know our children? Rebecca is the guardian of 13 year old Callie. Callie has been accused of bullying at school but Rebecca feels that this must be a mistake. Is Callie really a bully or is she herself the one being bullied. The story is told through both Callie and Rebecca's POV.
The book very much deals with and offers quite a bit of insight into teenage friendships and the complex issue of bullying. It shows how bullying really can happen sometimes right under our noses to or by the kids we least expect. Bullying has become so prevalent in our society. While some parts of the book are slightly unrealistic all in all a well written book that is important for both adults and teens to read.
December 28, 2015
Some parts of this book are very powerful, and I thought it did a good job of delving into the psychology, but it fell apart at the end a bit. Complete review to come.
Full review:
What I liked most about Hyacinth Girls is that it's a more complicated novel than it appears to be at first blush. Yes, it is a story about bullying, but it's a story that treats the issue in a subtler manner, which I think is to its advantage. Bullying is a far more complex issue than it's sometimes given credit for being, and I think this book poses some deeper questions that have a great deal or relevance even to those of us whose teenage years are in the rearview mirror. Some spoilers to follow.
One big thing to this novel's credit is that it doesn't strive to make any of its characters entirely likable. This doesn't mean that they're sympathetic, but I admire when authors make their characters flawed and even downright unlikable, because there seems to be a trend today in publishing that demands that we love all characters all the time--unless they're the bad guys of course. How does this have any resonance with the real world, and how does this make literature interesting? Human beings are complicated and often contradictory, so I tend to be far more invested in books that reflect this side of human nature.
Both Callie and Rebecca fall under this umbrella. There were times when I felt sorry for them and wanted to them to overcome their obstacles, and there were times when I was disgusted with them. Rebecca suffers from a serious case of willful blindness throughout much of the novel, but isn't this a danger with most parents? It's hard to see your own children objectively, especially when you've known them since the moment they were born and, therefore, tend to think you know everything that's on their minds. I liked that Rebecca sometimes hadn't the faintest clue what was really going on with Callie, especially because I find this very realistic. It's not just that parents will see what they want to see, it's also that, as in Rebecca's case, parents are sometimes so stressed about doing the right thing and being the best parent they can be that to face up to any shortcomings in their children would mean they would have to face their own failures. That's painful, to say the least.
As for Callie, though she isn't a perfect person, I did feel sorry for her. It was easy to understand why she felt as trapped as she did, and even why she reacted as she did--not that it made her behavior excusable. Adults tend to acknowledge that children feel intense pressure to conform, but they often fail to understand that they face a lot of the same pressures. After all, how many of us tend to tailor our behaviors because we know that if we act otherwise we'll upset someone we don't want to upset. In some ways, we're all pretending, and I think the strength of the book is that it explores this theme. It's not just children who bully, but adults as well, and I think that's a very important point. There are many times when adults tell children one thing and then act in a manner that's contrary, and I think it would behoove us all as a society if we thought deeply about that.
Unfortunately, for me, the book slipped on a downward slope toward the end. It's not so much that I wanted a worst-case scenario ending, but the ending that I did get felt a little too sitcom for me, wrapping everything up in a neat box. Yes, the characters suffer and there are consequences, but the ending seemed to me to be stretching a bit.
Full review:
What I liked most about Hyacinth Girls is that it's a more complicated novel than it appears to be at first blush. Yes, it is a story about bullying, but it's a story that treats the issue in a subtler manner, which I think is to its advantage. Bullying is a far more complex issue than it's sometimes given credit for being, and I think this book poses some deeper questions that have a great deal or relevance even to those of us whose teenage years are in the rearview mirror. Some spoilers to follow.
One big thing to this novel's credit is that it doesn't strive to make any of its characters entirely likable. This doesn't mean that they're sympathetic, but I admire when authors make their characters flawed and even downright unlikable, because there seems to be a trend today in publishing that demands that we love all characters all the time--unless they're the bad guys of course. How does this have any resonance with the real world, and how does this make literature interesting? Human beings are complicated and often contradictory, so I tend to be far more invested in books that reflect this side of human nature.
Both Callie and Rebecca fall under this umbrella. There were times when I felt sorry for them and wanted to them to overcome their obstacles, and there were times when I was disgusted with them. Rebecca suffers from a serious case of willful blindness throughout much of the novel, but isn't this a danger with most parents? It's hard to see your own children objectively, especially when you've known them since the moment they were born and, therefore, tend to think you know everything that's on their minds. I liked that Rebecca sometimes hadn't the faintest clue what was really going on with Callie, especially because I find this very realistic. It's not just that parents will see what they want to see, it's also that, as in Rebecca's case, parents are sometimes so stressed about doing the right thing and being the best parent they can be that to face up to any shortcomings in their children would mean they would have to face their own failures. That's painful, to say the least.
As for Callie, though she isn't a perfect person, I did feel sorry for her. It was easy to understand why she felt as trapped as she did, and even why she reacted as she did--not that it made her behavior excusable. Adults tend to acknowledge that children feel intense pressure to conform, but they often fail to understand that they face a lot of the same pressures. After all, how many of us tend to tailor our behaviors because we know that if we act otherwise we'll upset someone we don't want to upset. In some ways, we're all pretending, and I think the strength of the book is that it explores this theme. It's not just children who bully, but adults as well, and I think that's a very important point. There are many times when adults tell children one thing and then act in a manner that's contrary, and I think it would behoove us all as a society if we thought deeply about that.
Unfortunately, for me, the book slipped on a downward slope toward the end. It's not so much that I wanted a worst-case scenario ending, but the ending that I did get felt a little too sitcom for me, wrapping everything up in a neat box. Yes, the characters suffer and there are consequences, but the ending seemed to me to be stretching a bit.
April 29, 2015
I received a copy of this title from the publisher via Netgalley.
4.5 stars
Right off the bat, I have to acknowledge how unexpectedly noteworthy I found this story to be. When I flicked back to the blurb and found out that this was a “teen bullying” story I was preparing myself for the run-of-the-mill, mean girls scenario with cliques and rich bitches and everything we’ve seen before in a thousand movies and books. While the blurb gives the indication that this is a YA book, I think that this is actually properly realised adult fiction that features young characters and bullying, but focuses on deeper explorations of the characters, their motivations and relationships. [Interjection: Yes, I realise YA is “proper fiction” too, so no need to send the hate mail just yet]. I suspect that adult readers will get just as much out of this, if not more, than their teenaged counterparts and that is the mark of a good book all-round.
Hyacinth Girls is told in alternating points of view, beginning with that of Rebecca, who has become the guardian of teenager Callie after her mother, Joyce (Rebecca’s childhood best friend), was killed in an accident and her father committed suicide. The early parts of the story focus on Rebecca’s shock and denial when informed that Callie has been involved in serious bullying of a classmate. The story moves back and forth between the present day, as Rebecca tries her darnedest to clear Callie’s name, and Rebecca’s childhood with Joyce, her older cousin and his girlfriend.
About halfway through the book, the story switches to Callie’s point of view and the reader becomes privy to the “other side of the story” as it were. It isn’t too hard to see that Rebecca suffers from a sort of functional blindness toward Callie’s alleged behaviour and sharp readers will be pleased to note that their suspicions are confirmed in Callie’s telling of the story. Toward the end of the book, the perspectives change again as events come to a head and secrets and lies come back to haunt all the characters.
What I most appreciated about this story is that the characters are all deeply fleshed out. Each character has flaws and a back story and motives that are understandable and familiar, but not stereotypical. The book really explores the concepts of error and redemption through characters who are judged outwardly by their actions and characters for whom the judgement (and damnation) is self-wrought and internal. Hyacinth Girls manages to set itself apart from the crowd of “seen-it-all-before” books on bullying to really explore the people who engage in it, the people who fight against it and the people who unwittingly support it. I particularly appreciated the realistic fallout (or lack thereof) at the very end of the book, when the reader gets to reflect on the tumultuous events of the story and their impact on the lives of the characters in the context of a wider society of those who don’t have a personal stake in the lives of these particular young people.
Overall I think that aside from being a “bullying” book, Hyacinth Girls is just a really absorbing read.
4.5 stars
Right off the bat, I have to acknowledge how unexpectedly noteworthy I found this story to be. When I flicked back to the blurb and found out that this was a “teen bullying” story I was preparing myself for the run-of-the-mill, mean girls scenario with cliques and rich bitches and everything we’ve seen before in a thousand movies and books. While the blurb gives the indication that this is a YA book, I think that this is actually properly realised adult fiction that features young characters and bullying, but focuses on deeper explorations of the characters, their motivations and relationships. [Interjection: Yes, I realise YA is “proper fiction” too, so no need to send the hate mail just yet]. I suspect that adult readers will get just as much out of this, if not more, than their teenaged counterparts and that is the mark of a good book all-round.
Hyacinth Girls is told in alternating points of view, beginning with that of Rebecca, who has become the guardian of teenager Callie after her mother, Joyce (Rebecca’s childhood best friend), was killed in an accident and her father committed suicide. The early parts of the story focus on Rebecca’s shock and denial when informed that Callie has been involved in serious bullying of a classmate. The story moves back and forth between the present day, as Rebecca tries her darnedest to clear Callie’s name, and Rebecca’s childhood with Joyce, her older cousin and his girlfriend.
About halfway through the book, the story switches to Callie’s point of view and the reader becomes privy to the “other side of the story” as it were. It isn’t too hard to see that Rebecca suffers from a sort of functional blindness toward Callie’s alleged behaviour and sharp readers will be pleased to note that their suspicions are confirmed in Callie’s telling of the story. Toward the end of the book, the perspectives change again as events come to a head and secrets and lies come back to haunt all the characters.
What I most appreciated about this story is that the characters are all deeply fleshed out. Each character has flaws and a back story and motives that are understandable and familiar, but not stereotypical. The book really explores the concepts of error and redemption through characters who are judged outwardly by their actions and characters for whom the judgement (and damnation) is self-wrought and internal. Hyacinth Girls manages to set itself apart from the crowd of “seen-it-all-before” books on bullying to really explore the people who engage in it, the people who fight against it and the people who unwittingly support it. I particularly appreciated the realistic fallout (or lack thereof) at the very end of the book, when the reader gets to reflect on the tumultuous events of the story and their impact on the lives of the characters in the context of a wider society of those who don’t have a personal stake in the lives of these particular young people.
Overall I think that aside from being a “bullying” book, Hyacinth Girls is just a really absorbing read.
May 8, 2015
Some books entertain. Some books educate. Some books peel off emotional scabs and bring to the fore repressed memories and fresh tears. Lauren Frankel’s Hyacinth Girls, for me, is more of the last.
Rebecca is raising Callie– the daughter of her dead best friend. When she receives a call from Callie’s school that Callie has been bullying another girl, Rebecca refuses to believe it, as she knows Callie to be a gentle, sensitive girl.She does what any parent/guardian would do in supporting Callie, and when other students come out saying that Callie is not at fault she is satisfied. But a call from the mother of the bullied girl and notes left on the grave of Callie’s mother convince her that this is something that is far from over. Meanwhile, Callie starts to raise questions about the past–about her dead parents and a friend of theirs who committed suicide, forcing Rebecca to rexamine her friendship with Callie’s mother.
The rise of social media has made it easier for people to be publicly shamed. Everything on the internet lives forever and is so widespread that neither time nor distance make it possible to ever escape it. And as Callie reflects at the end of the book it’s not just teens who do it –all of us have at some point of time been the shamer and the shamed. We are quick to pass judgement, without empathy for the person at the receiving end. Hyacinth Girls portrays the pain of the bully and the bullied sensitively and beautifully.
But this is not just another book about bullying. It also touches upon the role of friendships–especially female friendships. It juxtaposes Rebecca’s friendship with Callie’s mother Joyce, and Lara (Callie’s father’s wife) with Callie’s own friendships with Dallas and Ella on one hand and with Robyn on the other. It raises uncomforatble questions about how far and how deep there friendships can go, and what betrayals it can endure. In the process it creates portraits of relationships that the reader can connect with.
Another important theme in the book is parenting or the lack thereof. A question raised at the beginning of the book is “Do you know your children?” Can we ever know what our child thinks or does, and more importantly can we ever know the things they hide from us? In an attempt to know our children, is it okay to violate their privacy?
I personally found the book a bit too short. I wish a bit more time had been devoted to exploring the characters. As of now we have sketches of the characters –and while they are brilliant sketches, one desires to know them and their motivations better. This is not to say that one cannot connect or identify with them. On the contrary, one really does feel their pain and despair. One just wants to feel more of it.
Hyacinth Girls is a sensitive, well thought out and beautifully executed book. It is a book that we need to read.
FTC disclaimer : I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review
Rebecca is raising Callie– the daughter of her dead best friend. When she receives a call from Callie’s school that Callie has been bullying another girl, Rebecca refuses to believe it, as she knows Callie to be a gentle, sensitive girl.She does what any parent/guardian would do in supporting Callie, and when other students come out saying that Callie is not at fault she is satisfied. But a call from the mother of the bullied girl and notes left on the grave of Callie’s mother convince her that this is something that is far from over. Meanwhile, Callie starts to raise questions about the past–about her dead parents and a friend of theirs who committed suicide, forcing Rebecca to rexamine her friendship with Callie’s mother.
The rise of social media has made it easier for people to be publicly shamed. Everything on the internet lives forever and is so widespread that neither time nor distance make it possible to ever escape it. And as Callie reflects at the end of the book it’s not just teens who do it –all of us have at some point of time been the shamer and the shamed. We are quick to pass judgement, without empathy for the person at the receiving end. Hyacinth Girls portrays the pain of the bully and the bullied sensitively and beautifully.
But this is not just another book about bullying. It also touches upon the role of friendships–especially female friendships. It juxtaposes Rebecca’s friendship with Callie’s mother Joyce, and Lara (Callie’s father’s wife) with Callie’s own friendships with Dallas and Ella on one hand and with Robyn on the other. It raises uncomforatble questions about how far and how deep there friendships can go, and what betrayals it can endure. In the process it creates portraits of relationships that the reader can connect with.
Another important theme in the book is parenting or the lack thereof. A question raised at the beginning of the book is “Do you know your children?” Can we ever know what our child thinks or does, and more importantly can we ever know the things they hide from us? In an attempt to know our children, is it okay to violate their privacy?
I personally found the book a bit too short. I wish a bit more time had been devoted to exploring the characters. As of now we have sketches of the characters –and while they are brilliant sketches, one desires to know them and their motivations better. This is not to say that one cannot connect or identify with them. On the contrary, one really does feel their pain and despair. One just wants to feel more of it.
Hyacinth Girls is a sensitive, well thought out and beautifully executed book. It is a book that we need to read.
FTC disclaimer : I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review
June 19, 2015
Check out this and other reviews on my blog at http://herestohappyendings.wordpress.com
One of the most memorable books that I have come across is probably Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher. Hyacinth Girls reminds me so much of that book, only much deeper. This book, as well as a few other books about bullying and the drastic consequences that it has on its victims, tend to shed light on the issue, and give it the light it deserves so that more attention can be paid to it, and everyone can understand what a serious problem bullying is.
This book starts off with one of our main characters, Rebecca, being called away from work into the principal's office of the fourteen year old girl she has guardianship over. According to the art teacher, Callie walked over to her peer, Robyn, and threw red paint all over her. Rebecca cannot believe that Callie would be this cruel, and Callie's friends lie and say that Robyn dumped paint on herself to get Callie in trouble. Things escalate from there, with notes showing up at Callie's mother's grave, at their apartment, and so on, and Rebecca's and Callie's stories come to light. We don't exactly find out what really happens until almost the end of the novel, but we are given bits and pieces of it throughout the book. Between chapters are Callie's interactions with Robyn, from memories to e-mails and instant messages.
I read this book in less than a day, because I was completely hooked and wanted to see what was going to come of Callie's story. It was a fast, enjoyable read that really left an impression.
Hyacinth Girls is a heartbreaking look at how bullying can affect pretty much everyone...and the harrowing depths that it can push those victims to.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
One of the most memorable books that I have come across is probably Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher. Hyacinth Girls reminds me so much of that book, only much deeper. This book, as well as a few other books about bullying and the drastic consequences that it has on its victims, tend to shed light on the issue, and give it the light it deserves so that more attention can be paid to it, and everyone can understand what a serious problem bullying is.
This book starts off with one of our main characters, Rebecca, being called away from work into the principal's office of the fourteen year old girl she has guardianship over. According to the art teacher, Callie walked over to her peer, Robyn, and threw red paint all over her. Rebecca cannot believe that Callie would be this cruel, and Callie's friends lie and say that Robyn dumped paint on herself to get Callie in trouble. Things escalate from there, with notes showing up at Callie's mother's grave, at their apartment, and so on, and Rebecca's and Callie's stories come to light. We don't exactly find out what really happens until almost the end of the novel, but we are given bits and pieces of it throughout the book. Between chapters are Callie's interactions with Robyn, from memories to e-mails and instant messages.
I read this book in less than a day, because I was completely hooked and wanted to see what was going to come of Callie's story. It was a fast, enjoyable read that really left an impression.
Hyacinth Girls is a heartbreaking look at how bullying can affect pretty much everyone...and the harrowing depths that it can push those victims to.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 7, 2015
I received this ARC from Blogging for Books in exchange for my review.
This was another one of those books that I wasn't expecting to enjoy as much as I did. After I requested the ARC, I saw a few less than rave reviews on Goodreads and I almost let them put me off from reading it. At first, I just did not like the characters very much. Rebecca is guardian to 13 year old Callie, who is the daughter to Rebecca's best friend and her cousin. Both Callie's parents are dead and this book goes back and forth between what is happening with Callie and the events leading to her parents' death. At first I though Rebecca was another parent refusing to see her child as anything but perfect and this annoyed me. Despite witnesses, Rebecca refused to believe that her child could possibly be a bully. Instead, she believes Callie's excuse that Robyn must be lying and just saying this stuff to get attention. But I kind of get why she refused to see it and that question lay at the heart of this book. How well does anyone really know their children? What I didn't like (and what the author was maybe trying to say) was that Rebecca could be a bully just like anyone else. The way she spoke about Robyn (the girl who said Callie bullied her) and her mother just made my skin crawl. When Robyn was with the mothers of Callie's friends, they reminded me just as much of the mean girls in high school, just older.
The book also has excerpts that Callie is writing regarding her interactions with Robyn, the girl she is accused of bullying. These excerpts made it even harder to figure out who was telling the truth. According to these excerpts of IM's and emails, they started out as friends. So what went wrong? The last part of the book brought everything together when it finally told the events from Callie's POV. I was torn between feeling bad for Callie and being mad at her. And there were so many mean girls who influenced Callie's behavior. Reading Callie's POV made me remember just how intense adolescence could feel. Every heartbreak was magnified by a thousand and it was so easy to spiral because of what people thought about you. In Callie's case, she went through so much. It really just hurt when she thought her dead mother would have regretted having her because of things she had done. This book was very moving and had very real characters and emotions. This was a great read!
This was another one of those books that I wasn't expecting to enjoy as much as I did. After I requested the ARC, I saw a few less than rave reviews on Goodreads and I almost let them put me off from reading it. At first, I just did not like the characters very much. Rebecca is guardian to 13 year old Callie, who is the daughter to Rebecca's best friend and her cousin. Both Callie's parents are dead and this book goes back and forth between what is happening with Callie and the events leading to her parents' death. At first I though Rebecca was another parent refusing to see her child as anything but perfect and this annoyed me. Despite witnesses, Rebecca refused to believe that her child could possibly be a bully. Instead, she believes Callie's excuse that Robyn must be lying and just saying this stuff to get attention. But I kind of get why she refused to see it and that question lay at the heart of this book. How well does anyone really know their children? What I didn't like (and what the author was maybe trying to say) was that Rebecca could be a bully just like anyone else. The way she spoke about Robyn (the girl who said Callie bullied her) and her mother just made my skin crawl. When Robyn was with the mothers of Callie's friends, they reminded me just as much of the mean girls in high school, just older.
The book also has excerpts that Callie is writing regarding her interactions with Robyn, the girl she is accused of bullying. These excerpts made it even harder to figure out who was telling the truth. According to these excerpts of IM's and emails, they started out as friends. So what went wrong? The last part of the book brought everything together when it finally told the events from Callie's POV. I was torn between feeling bad for Callie and being mad at her. And there were so many mean girls who influenced Callie's behavior. Reading Callie's POV made me remember just how intense adolescence could feel. Every heartbreak was magnified by a thousand and it was so easy to spiral because of what people thought about you. In Callie's case, she went through so much. It really just hurt when she thought her dead mother would have regretted having her because of things she had done. This book was very moving and had very real characters and emotions. This was a great read!
June 9, 2015
This book was not what I was expecting when I read the cover. I was thinking of a cliched YA bully story, and this was nothing like that. Callie comes across in the beginning of the book as a popular, blonde, clique-leader (think Regina George and the Plastics from Mean Girls). Both of her parents died when she was young and Rebecca, her mother's best friend, steps in to take care of her.
Rebecca has never had children of her own, she struggles to make ends meet, she doesn't have any love interests, and she basically comes across as a loner who is also suffering from the death of Callie's mom. She has known Callie from birth and tries to raise and understand Callie, but constantly comparing her to her mother puts a strain on their relationship that Rachel doesn't see until it's almost too late.
I admit that I didn't believe Callie was all innocent like Rebecca believed, but I didn't expect the outcome whatsoever. I liked that this story flipped back and forth in time between Rebecca and Joyce as teenagers, the original "Hyacinth Girls," and now. I really got enthralled when we got Callie's point of view halfway through the novel. It was unexpected and what (finally) captured my attention. Also, once my questions as to how her parents died were answered, I became more invested in finding out the ending.
What I found somewhat remarkable were the actual emails, texts, and Facebook messages. It made the story feel so much more real, because we use all of those things today, and I could easily see how this could have played out (and probably does) daily. overall I think this is an important read for anyone who works with, or has, children.
*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
Rebecca has never had children of her own, she struggles to make ends meet, she doesn't have any love interests, and she basically comes across as a loner who is also suffering from the death of Callie's mom. She has known Callie from birth and tries to raise and understand Callie, but constantly comparing her to her mother puts a strain on their relationship that Rachel doesn't see until it's almost too late.
I admit that I didn't believe Callie was all innocent like Rebecca believed, but I didn't expect the outcome whatsoever. I liked that this story flipped back and forth in time between Rebecca and Joyce as teenagers, the original "Hyacinth Girls," and now. I really got enthralled when we got Callie's point of view halfway through the novel. It was unexpected and what (finally) captured my attention. Also, once my questions as to how her parents died were answered, I became more invested in finding out the ending.
What I found somewhat remarkable were the actual emails, texts, and Facebook messages. It made the story feel so much more real, because we use all of those things today, and I could easily see how this could have played out (and probably does) daily. overall I think this is an important read for anyone who works with, or has, children.
*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
May 13, 2015
Hyacinth Girls
By
Lauren Frankel
The main and most important characters in this book...
Key characters are Rebecca...who is Callie's guardian...Callie's "friends" Dallas and Ella and yet another friend...Robyn.
My very brief story summary that includes bits and bobs from the beginning, middle and end of this book...
This is almost like a trickster tale...until we find out who is really doing the bullying. It's amazing...even in a book of fiction...that girls can be so incredibly "fight to the death" mean. Callie...is perceived as being the bully but Rebecca defends her against everyone. There are tons of complicated misperceptions until we find out the truth about Callie.
My actual most favorite part of this book...
I am not sure that I had a favorite part. Much of the book was sad and pretty intense and its focus was on bullies and the aftermath of bullying. Good lessons for readers but most of the time bullies don't really get the message until it's too late...if they get it at all.
My actual true feelings about this book and whether or not other potential readers will enjoy it...
I feel as though I can't fully explain this book to potential readers. The book sort of starts and ends with the billboard which is sort of a lesson in itself. I am not sure if there is resolution in this book, either. Rebecca puts up the billboard as a tribute...so that the bullies will never forget Callie.
By
Lauren Frankel
The main and most important characters in this book...
Key characters are Rebecca...who is Callie's guardian...Callie's "friends" Dallas and Ella and yet another friend...Robyn.
My very brief story summary that includes bits and bobs from the beginning, middle and end of this book...
This is almost like a trickster tale...until we find out who is really doing the bullying. It's amazing...even in a book of fiction...that girls can be so incredibly "fight to the death" mean. Callie...is perceived as being the bully but Rebecca defends her against everyone. There are tons of complicated misperceptions until we find out the truth about Callie.
My actual most favorite part of this book...
I am not sure that I had a favorite part. Much of the book was sad and pretty intense and its focus was on bullies and the aftermath of bullying. Good lessons for readers but most of the time bullies don't really get the message until it's too late...if they get it at all.
My actual true feelings about this book and whether or not other potential readers will enjoy it...
I feel as though I can't fully explain this book to potential readers. The book sort of starts and ends with the billboard which is sort of a lesson in itself. I am not sure if there is resolution in this book, either. Rebecca puts up the billboard as a tribute...so that the bullies will never forget Callie.
August 7, 2015
I had a hard time putting this book down. It was very well written and the author has a way of making you really feel for everyone involved.
I was the victim of bullying when I was in school and unfortunately, for the last two years as an adult from another adult female whom I have absolutely no connection to in real life. I am also a parent to two young children, one with Autism, so this book hit pretty close to home. I felt for Callie at the end. I understood how at her age you could get mixed up with the wrong crowd and truly believe that your words had no impact on others. I also completely understand the need at that age to want to fit in. However, the part of the story that I really felt the most connected to was the worthlessness that the victims of bullying really feel and how it seems like no one believes you or wants to help you. I've been there.
The author also got the story spot on when it comes to the reactions of the parents involved. No one wants to believe or admit that their child could be that cruel to another person, but it happens. While this book is a work of fiction, it mirrors the real life epidemic that is cyber bullying. Once something is said or written online, it cannot be taken back. I think this book really is an eye opener for tweens, teens, and even adults.
I was the victim of bullying when I was in school and unfortunately, for the last two years as an adult from another adult female whom I have absolutely no connection to in real life. I am also a parent to two young children, one with Autism, so this book hit pretty close to home. I felt for Callie at the end. I understood how at her age you could get mixed up with the wrong crowd and truly believe that your words had no impact on others. I also completely understand the need at that age to want to fit in. However, the part of the story that I really felt the most connected to was the worthlessness that the victims of bullying really feel and how it seems like no one believes you or wants to help you. I've been there.
The author also got the story spot on when it comes to the reactions of the parents involved. No one wants to believe or admit that their child could be that cruel to another person, but it happens. While this book is a work of fiction, it mirrors the real life epidemic that is cyber bullying. Once something is said or written online, it cannot be taken back. I think this book really is an eye opener for tweens, teens, and even adults.
March 22, 2015
Nothing infuriates me more than a good bully novel, and yet I keep on reading them even though I should know better. (A well done bully novel has me so angry I want to shake the book itself, and so hurt for the characters that I want to hug it.)
I'm ultimately giving Hyacinth Girls 3.5 stars rounded down because while parts of it are beautiful, I've read this before. There are only so many ways a novel about teenage girls and the truly fucked up things that they can do to each other in adolescence, so the difference really comes down to the way the story is told and the writing.
Thanks to the Goodreads First Reads program for this one!
I'm ultimately giving Hyacinth Girls 3.5 stars rounded down because while parts of it are beautiful, I've read this before. There are only so many ways a novel about teenage girls and the truly fucked up things that they can do to each other in adolescence, so the difference really comes down to the way the story is told and the writing.
Thanks to the Goodreads First Reads program for this one!
June 26, 2015
This book took me through a gamut of emotions…frustration, sadness, and anger. It reads like an adult fiction story but it would be beneficial for both parents and teenagers to read. The story focuses on the hot topic issue of bullying and addresses it from many perspectives. It reminded me in many ways of 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher but, in my opinion, this book was much better in how it addressed the issues.
What I Liked: Although very clueless most of the time, I really liked and related to Rebecca. She wanted what was best for Callie and would stop at nothing to get it. Callie frustrated and angered me in many ways but when a character can evoke strong feelings from me, I consider the author to be good at what he or she does. The story had great pacing, there were no moments when I felt like it was dragging.
What I didn’t Like: The ending left me feeling unfulfilled, things wrapped up but there were a few loose ends. There were a few moments that were a bit unrealistic.
Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
What I Liked: Although very clueless most of the time, I really liked and related to Rebecca. She wanted what was best for Callie and would stop at nothing to get it. Callie frustrated and angered me in many ways but when a character can evoke strong feelings from me, I consider the author to be good at what he or she does. The story had great pacing, there were no moments when I felt like it was dragging.
What I didn’t Like: The ending left me feeling unfulfilled, things wrapped up but there were a few loose ends. There were a few moments that were a bit unrealistic.
Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
November 11, 2015
I saw this book being recommended by Stephen King on Twitter, so you can imagine my surprise when it turned out to not be what I expected at all, in a good way. [Sometimes I like to pick up books recommended to me without knowing what they are about].
It's a hard topic to write about, teenage bullying, trying not to make it sound like a soap opera with all the drama that goes on but also keeping it realistic. Because it is a subject that is full of drama, that hurts a lot of people.
At first I didn't like how two-dimensional and stereotypical the girls DT seemed, but then I remembered it wasn't so long ago that I was in school, and being the subject of bullying by 'popular girls', back then that is how I perceived them.
God, kids can be so cruel. And the book left me wondering for a while, where does all this cruelty come from? How can a human being do what the girls in this book did and not feel remorse about it?
It's a hard topic to write about, teenage bullying, trying not to make it sound like a soap opera with all the drama that goes on but also keeping it realistic. Because it is a subject that is full of drama, that hurts a lot of people.
At first I didn't like how two-dimensional and stereotypical the girls DT seemed, but then I remembered it wasn't so long ago that I was in school, and being the subject of bullying by 'popular girls', back then that is how I perceived them.
God, kids can be so cruel. And the book left me wondering for a while, where does all this cruelty come from? How can a human being do what the girls in this book did and not feel remorse about it?
December 18, 2016
„Adevăr sau provocare” de Lauren Frankel. O carte superbă, un adevărat roman psihologic care tratează într-un mod simplu și la îndemână un subiect controversat și foarte interesant: crizele adolescenței, abuzurile și hărțuirea dintre copii sau adolescenți.
Vă recomand cartea cu drag, mai ales dacă sunteți părinți și profesori. Și chiar dacă nu sunteți - tot vă îndemn s-o citiți. Poate vă veți regăsi în situațiile personajelor, poate veți conștientiza mai bine ceea ce se petrece în jurul noastru, cu copiii și tinerii. Eu, personal, m-am identificat cu personajele. :)
Mai multe despre această carte, cât și părerea mea personală, în recenzia: http://siminastatusuri.blogspot.ro/20...
Vă recomand cartea cu drag, mai ales dacă sunteți părinți și profesori. Și chiar dacă nu sunteți - tot vă îndemn s-o citiți. Poate vă veți regăsi în situațiile personajelor, poate veți conștientiza mai bine ceea ce se petrece în jurul noastru, cu copiii și tinerii. Eu, personal, m-am identificat cu personajele. :)
Mai multe despre această carte, cât și părerea mea personală, în recenzia: http://siminastatusuri.blogspot.ro/20...
December 8, 2014
At first I was really skeptical about this book. Something that starts with a girl accused of bullying only to have her guardian insist that she couldn't possibly have done it? Well, it's not exactly my cup of tea. I already know that there's more than this adult knows, that there will be teenage secrets, and it's hitting me on the head a bit too hard.
But I stuck with it. I thought this book had more potential than it lived up to. The late shift in narrators was awkward. The revelations came rather late since the truth became easy to spot early on. Structure is important when you're doing a slow reveal and I think this one didn't work as well as it could have.
But I stuck with it. I thought this book had more potential than it lived up to. The late shift in narrators was awkward. The revelations came rather late since the truth became easy to spot early on. Structure is important when you're doing a slow reveal and I think this one didn't work as well as it could have.
June 12, 2016
A page turner for sure... I raced through this. A terrifying read - how a child could be such a stranger to a parent makes my hair stand on end. I liked how the author made the mother (figure) appear caring but also completely clueless. It was heartbreaking to read about all of the horrible events at school (and how absolutely horrible all the kids were/could be with very little encouragement) and then read how her mom suggested ice cream or a hug at the end of the day (which, when you don't know what's going on makes sense, but from a teenager's perspective is absolutely useless, obviously). A scary book for a parent.
March 11, 2016
This one was tough to rate. The first half I read over the course of a week or so, a chapter or two at a time. Tonight I picked it up intending to read a couple chapters before bed and instead found myself up way too late on a work night finishing it.
I liked it...and yet...I think there were a few holes in the story and some daydream/hallucination/fantasy (WTF were they?) sequences that I clearly didn't understand.
The new shelf at the library pulls me in every time. I'm not sorry I picked this one but I'm not enthusiastic to recommend it either.
I liked it...and yet...I think there were a few holes in the story and some daydream/hallucination/fantasy (WTF were they?) sequences that I clearly didn't understand.
The new shelf at the library pulls me in every time. I'm not sorry I picked this one but I'm not enthusiastic to recommend it either.
June 3, 2015
I have such mixed feelings about this one. This story, about a high school girl who is horribly bullied, could be poignant...but there was so much going on, it felt a little messy...there's the story that her mom died and she's living with her mom's best friend. And the grandma who doesn't want anything to do with her. And the wife of her father. And the correspondence with another girl...I had trouble sorting it all out. Maybe with some good editing, the book would have been a little easier to read. Not sure that I can recommend this one.
March 15, 2017
Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
School bullying is never fun to read about, especially if you've ever experienced it. Girls are mean, especially in junior high school. I guessed the big twist early on in this book and it took away from my enjoyment of the story. I don't mind it when characters are unlikeable but the characters in this story just annoyed me in their unlikeablity.
School bullying is never fun to read about, especially if you've ever experienced it. Girls are mean, especially in junior high school. I guessed the big twist early on in this book and it took away from my enjoyment of the story. I don't mind it when characters are unlikeable but the characters in this story just annoyed me in their unlikeablity.
June 25, 2015
Got to say this one fell a little flat for me. The two different plots didn't gel nicely - sometimes I found it hard to catch on that the narrative had switched - and I really just felt like the point that the book was trying to make just wasn't being made in the best way. It felt underdeveloped overall to me. The bullying plot was a lot more hard hitting at the end of the book but it just came off as too little too late at that point.
March 23, 2016
Woah cyberbullying. This is a solid and compelling novel about middle grade/transition to high school-age students: peer identification, independence and identity, online life. It's also about non-traditional families and loss. Multiple points of view (Rebecca, Callie, Rebecca) build the tension: their stories combine to make for an even richer narrative. There is a substantial amount of swearing, something that is worth mentioning when book talking to younger readers.
November 24, 2015
Quite possibly solidifies my decision NOT to have children (who then grow up into nasty adults). A really well-written story about bullying, friendship, death, and a whole bunch of other sad stuff. I think the author was going for a huge twist that ended up being predictable, but still a good read.
August 17, 2015
Bullying through the eyes of a reformed bully. I just could not generate the needed sympathy for the young character. This book has to take the prize for most drawn out ending in the history of novels.
December 11, 2015
If I could give this book 10 stars, I would, that's how good this book was. I wasn't sure about it at first, but I gave it a chance and wasn't let down at all. This book made me happy, sad, worried and on the edge of my seat. It has been a long time since I read a book with the power to do that.
June 24, 2015
Disappointingly dull.
January 26, 2025
3.5 stars
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