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Zuiker Teen Topics
Goodbye: A Story of Suicide
The death of a child is a tragedy. When the cause is suicide, the tragedy is compounded. It’s not easy to read about, or talk about, and yet it is so crucial that young adults who feel the world closing in know that ending their lives is not the answer. There are people who can help. There are people who care.
A thirteen year old should be enjoying life, planning her future, anticipating the joys to come. Instead, and sadly for all who knew her, Hailee Joy Lamberth, chose a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
Hailee was an A student, bubbling with enthusiasm and love for life. She danced, wrote poems, and attended classes for gifted students. She loved playing with her little brother, Jacob. They’d play hide and seek and she’d always hide in the same place so that Jacob would find her.
But her favorite interaction with Jacob was when they rode the Ferris wheel together and got stuck at the top. Jacob was afraid, but Hailee reassured him. “We’re practically in heaven,” she tells him. “Well if we die,” Jacob says, “At least we’ll be together.”
When she was twelve years old, the bullying began.
First it was a boy in math class who seemed to have a crush on her. When she rebuffed him, he started sending her mean notes, calling her names, and spreading rumors about her.
Then it was a girl in P.E. who would crash into her when no one was looking.
Hailee tried to avoid the bullies. She decided to drop out of the math class. She made excuses to her parents in order to escape, and her parents believed her. They didn’t know that her life was becoming unbearable.
By the end of the school year, Hailee had begun to cut herself. It was her way of coping with the constant degradation. She overachieved in school in order to keep her parents from asking too many questions. A kid who is bullied often becomes an expert liar.
In seventh grade, the bullying increased, growing like a cancer. Hailee kept up appearances to protect her parents and brother, but inside she was suffering. Two days after her thirteenth birthday, she succumbed to the pain.
Hailee’s parents have decided to not allow her death to be in vain. By working with Zuiker Press to tell Hailee’s story as if she were able to tell it herself, they hope reach out to other young people in crisis, and show them that they do have options -- and to prevent them from bringing the excruciating pain of suicide to their families.
Their hope is that by sharing Hailee’s story, they may prevent another young person from making a fatal choice.
A Story of Suicide is the eighth in a series of graphic novels written by young adults for their peers.
A thirteen year old should be enjoying life, planning her future, anticipating the joys to come. Instead, and sadly for all who knew her, Hailee Joy Lamberth, chose a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
Hailee was an A student, bubbling with enthusiasm and love for life. She danced, wrote poems, and attended classes for gifted students. She loved playing with her little brother, Jacob. They’d play hide and seek and she’d always hide in the same place so that Jacob would find her.
But her favorite interaction with Jacob was when they rode the Ferris wheel together and got stuck at the top. Jacob was afraid, but Hailee reassured him. “We’re practically in heaven,” she tells him. “Well if we die,” Jacob says, “At least we’ll be together.”
When she was twelve years old, the bullying began.
First it was a boy in math class who seemed to have a crush on her. When she rebuffed him, he started sending her mean notes, calling her names, and spreading rumors about her.
Then it was a girl in P.E. who would crash into her when no one was looking.
Hailee tried to avoid the bullies. She decided to drop out of the math class. She made excuses to her parents in order to escape, and her parents believed her. They didn’t know that her life was becoming unbearable.
By the end of the school year, Hailee had begun to cut herself. It was her way of coping with the constant degradation. She overachieved in school in order to keep her parents from asking too many questions. A kid who is bullied often becomes an expert liar.
In seventh grade, the bullying increased, growing like a cancer. Hailee kept up appearances to protect her parents and brother, but inside she was suffering. Two days after her thirteenth birthday, she succumbed to the pain.
Hailee’s parents have decided to not allow her death to be in vain. By working with Zuiker Press to tell Hailee’s story as if she were able to tell it herself, they hope reach out to other young people in crisis, and show them that they do have options -- and to prevent them from bringing the excruciating pain of suicide to their families.
Their hope is that by sharing Hailee’s story, they may prevent another young person from making a fatal choice.
A Story of Suicide is the eighth in a series of graphic novels written by young adults for their peers.
89 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 14, 2020
2 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 27, 2020
First I have to say that no parent wants to live the nightmare of their child dying from suicide, and how people believe and deal with grief is for no one to judge. However, with that being said, the publisher and editors should have never published this graphic novel. It first of all is slightly dishonest because it states that the writer of the book is the deceased girl, it isn't based on her diaries or anything so it is literally her parents telling when they think she would, should have said if she could report of her own life events including her death from suicide. The biggest thing for me, however, was the victim blaming that is done in this book. "And I'm going to do my best in death, to look back at my life...and attempt to right the wrong...so that no young person will ever do what I did...to the ones I left behind. Cast my pain upon them." There is no wrong to right and that's really dangerous language to use. This girl was in tremendous pain and sadly became a victim of suicide, she didn't do it to punish her parents she did it to stop her own suffering. I really disliked the implication as well that because she died by suicide, that she may not experience an afterlife as punishment. "And as for Snowy (this was her pet dog)...she died of a broken heart two weeks after I passed. She's not up here with me though. When I lost my life, I lost my dog. There are no rewards for taking your own life. No one tells you the rules of the 'afterlife' upon arrival." I am sorry if the parents believe this way, but they are untitled to their beliefs, but it is so irresponsible to publish this!!! This girl wasn't seeking a reward when she lost her life to suicide, she was trying to end her pain. UGH!! Also I haven't even addressed the casual racism and classism. Anyway, very long story short, I am angry I bought this book for my library and will remove it because it does more harm then it will ever do good.
August 28, 2020
This book should have never been published, or at least it should have been focused on a different aspect of the story. The fact that parents are speaking for a child who is no longer in this world is frustrating to say the least. While the book talks about Hailee's bullies and her issues, it focuses more on her families feelings of the suicide with, a lot of victim blaiming. One of the quotes that deeply troubled me in this book was
"So that no one young person will ever do what I did... to the ones I left behind. Cast my pain upon them."
The level of victim blaming is astounding, you have a right to be upset, but do not project those on your deceased daughter.
"So that no one young person will ever do what I did... to the ones I left behind. Cast my pain upon them."
The level of victim blaming is astounding, you have a right to be upset, but do not project those on your deceased daughter.
August 23, 2021
Hey, no, suicide is not “a permanent solution to a temporary problem,” and it’s absolutely wild to me that the takeaway from daily bullying was “but it’s just temporary” instead of “this child was in pain and it went unaddressed and maybe it felt just as permanent as dying.”
September 4, 2020
Originally reviewed for YA Books Central: https://www.yabookscentral.com/yanonf...
A (quasi-creative?) non-fiction graphic novel, aimed at a Middle Grade or lower YA audience. It addresses the topic of bullying and teen suicide from a very personal angle.
Art-wise, the cover is probably my favorite aspect. The style makes good use to contrast and a semi-muted color pallet. But faces (especially the dad) were sometimes inconsistent, making it difficult to recognize characters from panel to panel.
I'm deeply conflicted over how to rate this one. The narrative is written by grieving parents, from the imagined perspective of their post-death (ghost?) daughter, Hailee--who is looking back on her entire life and the incidents leading up to her suicide. And while it's affectingly heartbreaking to be shown how much her death has devastated her family, the word choices sometimes stray into the territory of victim-blaming. And there are a great many assertions made about Hailee's thought processes and motivations without supporting evidence (i.e. diary entries, personal emails, notes texts, witness conversations, etc.) Indeed, it is repeatedly reiterated that Hailee never told her parents anything, nor asked for help from anyone. There is only a very abbreviated indication that, in her suicide note, she requested her parents tell the school what her bullies did to her. If in that note she expressed any reasons for lying to her parents and not seeking help, it isn't mentioned.
As a parent to a new middle schooler, I can't fathom being in their position--almost completely in the dark as to their child's struggles (thanks to an apparently incompetent school system) until it's too late. But I also see it as potentially destructive to focus so much on the child's actions and their far-reaching consequences, when Hailee had clearly been pushed into a frame of mind in which she could no longer be held responsible. And the "afterlife" portrayal, while vague and devoid of any belief system influence, does seem to suggest she is being punished in some sense (i.e. she is unable to see or be with her beloved dog, which died of a "broken heart" just weeks after her suicide. And she is supposedly forced to watch the daily agony of her parents and little brother.)
There is a real effort to examine what may have been going on in the lives of her bullies that contributed to them deflecting torment onto her. And while that deserves appreciation, it didn't offer any satisfaction as to whether the kids bullying her ever faced consequences--or indeed, if they even proved capable of experiencing remorse. They do mention that Hailee's parents settled a lawsuit against the school, and Nevada passed a law in her name requiring all schools to report all bullying incidents of the victims' AND bullies' families--which offers some sense of closure.
In the end, I'm just not sure the parents narrating on behalf of their daughter was the most effective way to convey Hailee's story. But for some, this may encourage an expanded perception of how far their life truly reaches.
A (quasi-creative?) non-fiction graphic novel, aimed at a Middle Grade or lower YA audience. It addresses the topic of bullying and teen suicide from a very personal angle.
Art-wise, the cover is probably my favorite aspect. The style makes good use to contrast and a semi-muted color pallet. But faces (especially the dad) were sometimes inconsistent, making it difficult to recognize characters from panel to panel.
I'm deeply conflicted over how to rate this one. The narrative is written by grieving parents, from the imagined perspective of their post-death (ghost?) daughter, Hailee--who is looking back on her entire life and the incidents leading up to her suicide. And while it's affectingly heartbreaking to be shown how much her death has devastated her family, the word choices sometimes stray into the territory of victim-blaming. And there are a great many assertions made about Hailee's thought processes and motivations without supporting evidence (i.e. diary entries, personal emails, notes texts, witness conversations, etc.) Indeed, it is repeatedly reiterated that Hailee never told her parents anything, nor asked for help from anyone. There is only a very abbreviated indication that, in her suicide note, she requested her parents tell the school what her bullies did to her. If in that note she expressed any reasons for lying to her parents and not seeking help, it isn't mentioned.
As a parent to a new middle schooler, I can't fathom being in their position--almost completely in the dark as to their child's struggles (thanks to an apparently incompetent school system) until it's too late. But I also see it as potentially destructive to focus so much on the child's actions and their far-reaching consequences, when Hailee had clearly been pushed into a frame of mind in which she could no longer be held responsible. And the "afterlife" portrayal, while vague and devoid of any belief system influence, does seem to suggest she is being punished in some sense (i.e. she is unable to see or be with her beloved dog, which died of a "broken heart" just weeks after her suicide. And she is supposedly forced to watch the daily agony of her parents and little brother.)
There is a real effort to examine what may have been going on in the lives of her bullies that contributed to them deflecting torment onto her. And while that deserves appreciation, it didn't offer any satisfaction as to whether the kids bullying her ever faced consequences--or indeed, if they even proved capable of experiencing remorse. They do mention that Hailee's parents settled a lawsuit against the school, and Nevada passed a law in her name requiring all schools to report all bullying incidents of the victims' AND bullies' families--which offers some sense of closure.
In the end, I'm just not sure the parents narrating on behalf of their daughter was the most effective way to convey Hailee's story. But for some, this may encourage an expanded perception of how far their life truly reaches.
January 31, 2022
I am conflicted. I enjoyed the artwork. The subject, topic is important. I agree with other reviewers about victim blaming. The book is credited, listed author is Hailee Joy Lamberth, who is the main character who died of suicide with bullying as a contributing factor. Hailee is narrator from the grave.
June 1, 2021
I think this book does raise awareness of bullying and suicide to a degree. However victim blaming is totally unnecessary and cruel. Someone who is already struggling and suffering in a situation out of their control does not need to feel more guilt. Of course the people around her will be feeling the pain of her death but take a minute to imagine how much pain she was going through. The amount of pain where living is unbearable and you feel the only escape is to take your life. My heart breaks for Hailee as I have also been mentally and physically bullied. It is so hard to ask for help, its like some invisible barrier that stops you from reaching out. And maybe that's why I connected with this story so well and is why my chest ached for the life she could have lived.
RIP Hailey.
RIP Hailey.
April 4, 2020
Based on the life of a real thirteen-year-old girl who seemed to have it all, this graphic novel tells the story of Hailee Joy Lamberth, who died by suicide after relentless bullying at her school. Although the story is painful to read, especially since readers know exactly how it will turn out, it's an important book for teens and pre-adolescents to read and think about. Through the book's pages, readers follow Hailee through a normal growing up period, the romance and marriage of her parents, her birth, and her early upbringing, and the way she excelled in school and in various extracurricular pursuits. There seems to be nothing that could knock her off track from her bright future. But for various reasons, Hailee became the target of two of her classmates who bullied her in various ways. Only a substitute teacher made note of what she was seeing, and no one ever contacted Hailee's parents. It isn't clear exactly what caused her to decide that she just couldn't take it anymore, but after her death her parents worked to hold schools and teachers accountable for reporting bullying and also chose to tell Hailee's story to others. In this particular format, Hailee speaks from beyond the grave, fully aware that she chose a permanent solution to a temporary problem. As she poignantly describes her regrets and the experiences she will miss, readers will surely be moved although some may be bothered by the conceit of trying to imagine what Hailee might be thinking and feeling during the bullying or after her death. She also manages to ruminate on what motivated those who bullied her as they perpetuated the cycle of violence in which they were caught. Still, the book tackles several important topics--bullying and suicide--from a unique perspective and provides readers with much food for thought. As painful as life may seem, eventually things tend to get better. This is a fast read, but it will linger with readers long after they have finished it and wonder what Hailee might have accomplished had she lived rather than deciding to say goodbye to the world around her.
October 29, 2024
I cried a lot, but that’s what this is meant to do. Some of this book feels strange, like it’s about how much it hurt the parents. It also portrayed some things that I think deserve further scrutiny, like casual racism and classism, but,,,,,,,,, I do wish to believe best intentions were meant... And it’s written by the parents, but through their daughter’s voice, because, as the book explains it, she wouldn’t want her death to be a waste knowing how much it hurt her family.
I guess I thought when I picked this book up it would be her diary or her story told in different ways. But it was her parents’ perspective, like, it had the dad dreaming of one day being gifted a motorcycle by her daughter because he couldn’t buy one when her and her brother were born. I kept thinking if I were a parent I might would think to write these things too… It also contained some introspection that the parents could only speculate. Also, it says on the cover it is written by the daughter, so I found myself wondering if I could trust every part of it.
Still emotional for me, but these aspects of it can’t be left without mentioning.
I think it also insinuated that if you commit suicide you can’t go to heaven…??? But that might be my own socio-geographical bias and trauma coming out. :p
I feel guilty for having not stellar opinions about this book considering the gravity of the subject…
I think it does better as an insight into the parents than their daughter.
I truly wish all respect and honor that is due Hailee and her family.
I guess I thought when I picked this book up it would be her diary or her story told in different ways. But it was her parents’ perspective, like, it had the dad dreaming of one day being gifted a motorcycle by her daughter because he couldn’t buy one when her and her brother were born. I kept thinking if I were a parent I might would think to write these things too… It also contained some introspection that the parents could only speculate. Also, it says on the cover it is written by the daughter, so I found myself wondering if I could trust every part of it.
Still emotional for me, but these aspects of it can’t be left without mentioning.
I think it also insinuated that if you commit suicide you can’t go to heaven…??? But that might be my own socio-geographical bias and trauma coming out. :p
I feel guilty for having not stellar opinions about this book considering the gravity of the subject…
I think it does better as an insight into the parents than their daughter.
I truly wish all respect and honor that is due Hailee and her family.
July 11, 2023
I checked this book out from the local library because it was a graphic novel and my daughter insisted I needed to read one (graphic novels are her favorite.) I was thinking as a parent that hopefully this book share some helpful insight for my kids as my oldest lost a friend to suicide a couple years ago. Firstly, this book is written in Hailee’s POV, which cannot be easily predicted or understood. I wish it had been written from the parents’ POV. Secondly, the book is seemingly written in chronological order but jumps back and forth in some descriptions which irks me. Finally, there’s many things that a thirteen year old goes through during puberty- not just bullying. Pointing the finger and acting like it’s singularly the bullies fault is not the answer. Also, claiming there’s no peace found after death got my blood boiling. I get trying to persuade kids from killing themselves but there needs to be more self help support and mental health support within it. I rarely rate a book 1 star but I absolutely detest this book. I don’t like that it’s on the shelves in the YA section.
May 21, 2024
This book took me a minute to read, but only read for an hour. Because I was this kid who was bullied, and many life experiences a child should not go through and truly felt I don’t belong anywhere. Hard subject but must be addressed for young kids. “C.H. Was a cancer, and cancer spreads…” negative people are very cancerous or can trigger cancer for sure. “Dec 22,13 the day I say “goodbye” without saying goodbye.” Pretty and smart girl. She seemed to not have a good friend to watch out for her in same aged group. Hailee inspired to be in the military, but if you’re not lucky there’s plenty of bullies in the military and I am sure her ending her life would be in question of temptations from all her mental games bullies as coworkers if she was able to reach adulthood to join. “I’ve learned anything on this journey, it’s that hurt people….hurt people.” While I was active my pain management counselor would say something similar to this and that to find a ground technique rather than a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2021
Good story and pictures
September 16, 2024
I agree with the majority of these other reviews.
March 9, 2024
didn't like how this was written, nor the illustrations. also the fact that the deceased girl -hailee- is portrayed as the author while this book was (obviously) written by other people - wtf?
June 28, 2023
TL;DR: This book is supposedly written by a teen who killed herself. In fact, it is written by her parents and feels more like a love letter from their perfect version of Hailee than anything from the girl herself. Self-harm is glossed over, "all the good times" take precedence over the bad ones, and bullies are only seen as victims, never perpetrators.
Zuiker Press is doing a wonderful thing by taking important topics and making them available to teens through teen stories. This is a great idea! It allows teen authors to make their voices heard, and teen readers can relate to the issues. There are times, though, that lofty idea falls short. This is one of those times. (Note: I am an adult who enjoys YA and graphic novels reading these books. Perhaps your teen will find nothing wrong with it.)
At first glance, this book seems to be written by Hailee Lamberth. Once you begin reading, though, you will see Hailee cannot have written this book because she committed suicide. It is in fact written by her parents. This would not bother me except for a couple things. For one thing, Zuiker has Haillee listed as the author. She is not the author; her parents are writing "as if they were her." This is the second book where Zuiker Press has attributed authorship to someone not involved in the book. The other was Brother, a tale about an autistic boy written by his sister. Instead of asking an autistic person for their opinion, Zuiker Press had a family member write the story and put his name on it. I am not a fan of this method. Surely, Zuiker Press could have found a teenager who attempted suicide tell their story. After all, they are supposed to be all about letting teens tell their own tales.
This book reads like adults trying desperately to sound like teenagers. It details Hailee's birth with specifics she could never have known. It talks about how much she hurt her mother's feelings when she "dismissed her as a six year old" at kindergarten. It discusses at length her father's obsession with motorcycles.
Many parts came across as forced metaphor and others felt like a heavy-handed conversation about what should have been a sensitive topic. The author makes Hailee sound like she had so much to live for; in fact, if Hailee had written this book, I would have called her an arrogant jerk. Her parents make sure to go over every single accomplishment the girl had, possibly in an effort to show how much she had to live for. They briefly mention her cutting, but it is never shown in the art itself. Instead, they harp on all the good times and how she just couldn't see them.
As someone who suffers from suicidal thoughts, I did not appreciate how much this book seemed to downplay her suffering. If Hailee was as wonderful as her parents believed, I'm sure she would have wanted to forgive the bullies who drove her to kill herself. However, I don't think their plight should have had as central a role as it did. It felt like the Lamberths were giving excuses for the children who bullied their daughter to death. They also continue to mention – as "Hailee," I should add – how much she wished she could grow up, get married, have a career, etc. This may be true, and it might be an effective way to keep other teens from killing themselves. However, it felt too forced. It seems like in their grief, Hailee's parents wrote this book from the perspective of their perfect daughter, the fantasy version but not the real one.
Zuiker Press is doing a wonderful thing by taking important topics and making them available to teens through teen stories. This is a great idea! It allows teen authors to make their voices heard, and teen readers can relate to the issues. There are times, though, that lofty idea falls short. This is one of those times. (Note: I am an adult who enjoys YA and graphic novels reading these books. Perhaps your teen will find nothing wrong with it.)
At first glance, this book seems to be written by Hailee Lamberth. Once you begin reading, though, you will see Hailee cannot have written this book because she committed suicide. It is in fact written by her parents. This would not bother me except for a couple things. For one thing, Zuiker has Haillee listed as the author. She is not the author; her parents are writing "as if they were her." This is the second book where Zuiker Press has attributed authorship to someone not involved in the book. The other was Brother, a tale about an autistic boy written by his sister. Instead of asking an autistic person for their opinion, Zuiker Press had a family member write the story and put his name on it. I am not a fan of this method. Surely, Zuiker Press could have found a teenager who attempted suicide tell their story. After all, they are supposed to be all about letting teens tell their own tales.
This book reads like adults trying desperately to sound like teenagers. It details Hailee's birth with specifics she could never have known. It talks about how much she hurt her mother's feelings when she "dismissed her as a six year old" at kindergarten. It discusses at length her father's obsession with motorcycles.
Many parts came across as forced metaphor and others felt like a heavy-handed conversation about what should have been a sensitive topic. The author makes Hailee sound like she had so much to live for; in fact, if Hailee had written this book, I would have called her an arrogant jerk. Her parents make sure to go over every single accomplishment the girl had, possibly in an effort to show how much she had to live for. They briefly mention her cutting, but it is never shown in the art itself. Instead, they harp on all the good times and how she just couldn't see them.
As someone who suffers from suicidal thoughts, I did not appreciate how much this book seemed to downplay her suffering. If Hailee was as wonderful as her parents believed, I'm sure she would have wanted to forgive the bullies who drove her to kill herself. However, I don't think their plight should have had as central a role as it did. It felt like the Lamberths were giving excuses for the children who bullied their daughter to death. They also continue to mention – as "Hailee," I should add – how much she wished she could grow up, get married, have a career, etc. This may be true, and it might be an effective way to keep other teens from killing themselves. However, it felt too forced. It seems like in their grief, Hailee's parents wrote this book from the perspective of their perfect daughter, the fantasy version but not the real one.
April 11, 2021
This book was a great and sad book that really spread awareness about bullying and suicide.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews