Attacked!: Bullied: Surviving Terror and Finding Justice

by Mark Simon

Back in 1980, in Houston, Texas, I was bullied in high school. I tried to ignore the gang but the bullying just grew worse. The first major attack was at a bonfire party and about 30 teens attacked me in my car. A number of them then showed up later that night at my home and attacked my family in our own front yard.

My family was terrorized for months including horrible death threats of our bodies being found in a bag in bloody pieces. I was attacked with bats, chains and tire irons on multiple occasions. My friends were also attacked with bricks and were constantly threatened to stay away from me. I was completely ostracized, with the exception of one amazing friend, Jim, who stuck by me.

I nearly failed every class that semester and I had been a consistent straight-A honor student. It got so bad my family had to hire private security and we armed ourselves. Our life had become a gut-wrenching nightmare.

Even after several nervous breakdowns, I refused to back down and we beat the bullies in a court of law. I became the first person in the country to hold parents legally responsible for the actions of their kids.

I am Mark Simon and this is my story.

Genres: Biography Memoir

316 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 18, 2020

About the author

Mark Simon is considered to be the Godfather of Storyboarding, working on more than 5,000 Hollywood productions including The Walking Dead and Stranger Things. He is also a best-selling author of film and art industry books. His latest book is the memoir, Attacked!, which is about when he was bullied and his family was attacked. He fought back with the law and became the first person in the country to hold parents responsible in court for the actions of their kids.

Reviews

[Hope Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a page turner of a story, so compelling and suspenseful... as a friend of Mark's I obviously knew the outcome but was still completely enthralled while reading. Finding out that Mark and his parents were encouraged to keep diaries during this time by a helpful police officer answers the questions you may be asking ... like how did he remember ALL of these details? Yet for anyone who's been involved in a traumatic event, and felt this kind of fear - those memories are seared into your brain. The passages of typical teen boy shenanigans, 80's music soundtracks and his hopes to connect with various "hot" girls (Mark's word not mine) add levity and also ground the story firmly in those turbulent high school years. Mostly though, I saw this story as a thank you and a love letter to his parents - Bear and Norma; for the wonderful, secure and happy childhood he'd lived up until this series of attacks, and the unconditional support and love they continued to show him during and of course after... and P. S. I think this would make a terrific movie.

[Tom Brophy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read it

Lived in Greenwood Forest so was interested in story. Not very well written or edited. Agree that bullying is very bad and the Simon’s solved it in the right way.

[Hope Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a page turner of a story, so compelling and suspenseful... as a friend of Mark's I obviously knew the outcome but was still completely enthralled while reading. Finding out that Mark and his parents were encouraged to keep diaries during this time by a helpful police officer answers the questions you may be asking ... like how did he remember ALL of these details? Yet for anyone who's been involved in a traumatic event, and felt this kind of fear - those memories are seared into your brain. The passages of typical teen boy shenanigans, 80's music soundtracks and his hopes to connect with various "hot" girls (Mark's word not mine) add levity and also ground the story firmly in those turbulent high school years. Mostly though, I saw this story as a thank you and a love letter to his parents - Bear and Norma; for the wonderful, secure and happy childhood he'd lived up until this series of attacks, and the unconditional support and love they continued to show him during and of course after... and P. S. I think this would make a terrific movie.