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#RIPJohn
Trigger Warning: This book contains scenes of graphic bullying and suicide. Everyone wants a chance to fit in, and that's all John King wants when he starts at his new school. A relentless bully, a blogger, and a pretty girl all have a different plan for him, though and after he endures all he can, John takes his own life.The only problem left for Devan, Melinda and Jenny?He doesn't stay dead.
- GenresHorrorYoung Adult
194 pages, Paperback
Published July 11, 2019
4 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Sian B. Claven
41 books320 followersBorn in South Africa, in the heart of Johannesburg, Sian Claven grew up with a vivid imagination. When she wasn't immersing herself in books, she was actively creating her own stories.
At 29 years old, left to her own devices after her sister immigrated, Sian, wrote her first horror book Ensnared and dared to publish it under the guidance of indie authors Toni Cox and Ashleigh Giannaccaro.
Now she has released more than ten books including a thriller and sci-fi fantasy.
In 2019, Sian took up the challenge of publishing 11 books in 11 months.
Sian came second place in the First Annual Indie Awards for Favourite African Author.
Sian's book, Sylvana, the final book in her Butcher series, made the Amazon top 100 best sellers list in several categories across three countries.
In her spare time, Sian is an avid Harry Potter fan, pop collector and Bingo addict. She resides in Johannesburg with her 2 best friends, their daughter, their 6 dogs and 2 cats.
At 29 years old, left to her own devices after her sister immigrated, Sian, wrote her first horror book Ensnared and dared to publish it under the guidance of indie authors Toni Cox and Ashleigh Giannaccaro.
Now she has released more than ten books including a thriller and sci-fi fantasy.
In 2019, Sian took up the challenge of publishing 11 books in 11 months.
Sian came second place in the First Annual Indie Awards for Favourite African Author.
Sian's book, Sylvana, the final book in her Butcher series, made the Amazon top 100 best sellers list in several categories across three countries.
In her spare time, Sian is an avid Harry Potter fan, pop collector and Bingo addict. She resides in Johannesburg with her 2 best friends, their daughter, their 6 dogs and 2 cats.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 15, 2019
A fantastic book about bullying and repercussions. It was a complete thriller with horror at the crux of it. A new boy in school, John was bullied and humiliated in all manner till he felt he had no choice but to hang himself. And then came the revenge.
I loved the author Sian B Claven’s writing; it was simply superfluous. Every word, every sentence evoked my emotions. My heart cried when John was bullied. I ran to stop him from commiting suicide, but I was too late. I sobbed when his parents tried to get to the truth but were helpless. My vengeant heart wanted nothing but justice for this quiet, intelligent, and sensitive boy.
And I got that. IN SPADES!! John forged his own path and didn’t stay dead. He came back!! I was simply delighted. Sian, in this book, knew how to balance the emotions. The prose was written in an easy to read manner. The emotions were honest, the truth reflected in every page.
I can write pages about how I was completely immersed in this book and couldn’t see the world beyond John. At 140 odd pages, it was a fast and oh so thrilling a read!!
ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED!!
I loved the author Sian B Claven’s writing; it was simply superfluous. Every word, every sentence evoked my emotions. My heart cried when John was bullied. I ran to stop him from commiting suicide, but I was too late. I sobbed when his parents tried to get to the truth but were helpless. My vengeant heart wanted nothing but justice for this quiet, intelligent, and sensitive boy.
And I got that. IN SPADES!! John forged his own path and didn’t stay dead. He came back!! I was simply delighted. Sian, in this book, knew how to balance the emotions. The prose was written in an easy to read manner. The emotions were honest, the truth reflected in every page.
I can write pages about how I was completely immersed in this book and couldn’t see the world beyond John. At 140 odd pages, it was a fast and oh so thrilling a read!!
ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED!!
September 15, 2019
Bullying that went to far
This is a story about John. He just moved to a new school and hoping to make some friends. But unfortunately John landed in a school that only cares if you’re popular. John goes through it all at this school but just when he thinks things are finally going to be better, the straw that’s breaks the camels back happens and he kills himself. The people who bullied him the most think what done is done, nothing can change what happened. But then things start it happen that makes them feel that they have lost their minds.
This is a story about John. He just moved to a new school and hoping to make some friends. But unfortunately John landed in a school that only cares if you’re popular. John goes through it all at this school but just when he thinks things are finally going to be better, the straw that’s breaks the camels back happens and he kills himself. The people who bullied him the most think what done is done, nothing can change what happened. But then things start it happen that makes them feel that they have lost their minds.
July 14, 2019
This book is such a hard topic to read.
This book is good and I enjoyed the story as hard as it was to read, and I liked the twist the author did to it as she always does in her books, you just don't know what to expect. But it is another well written book just heed the warning as this book will not be for everyone. Can't wait to see what Sian has for us next.
This book is good and I enjoyed the story as hard as it was to read, and I liked the twist the author did to it as she always does in her books, you just don't know what to expect. But it is another well written book just heed the warning as this book will not be for everyone. Can't wait to see what Sian has for us next.
July 15, 2019
This one was so hard to read the worst part is that it is all so real. I just can't imagine happen this to kids or to adults too. So I would say even with the difficulties I had reading John story I would say that his tormentors had the justice they so definitely deserve.
July 15, 2019
An excellent book that Wil. Take you on an emotional roller coaster
July 20, 2019
3.5 stars
Is this horror? It is more like a revenge story. Bullies are revenged by the bullied. The first half of this book very much annoyed me and I was not able to read on with one sitting. The latter half I knew what was coming and I had no sympathy toward those especially two characters. My concern is Jenny. Yes, she did a thing really horrible, but what about the Abigail!! She has to be punished somehow, or I am not satisfied!! That’s why I knocked a star off.
Is this horror? It is more like a revenge story. Bullies are revenged by the bullied. The first half of this book very much annoyed me and I was not able to read on with one sitting. The latter half I knew what was coming and I had no sympathy toward those especially two characters. My concern is Jenny. Yes, she did a thing really horrible, but what about the Abigail!! She has to be punished somehow, or I am not satisfied!! That’s why I knocked a star off.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2019
This was a great read about bullying and its consequences.
At times hard to read because the bullying and suicide can be triggering, but it is written in such a way that it doesn't feel exploitative.
I really enjoyed the horror element that was added to these already tough elements.
I would definitely recommend.
At times hard to read because the bullying and suicide can be triggering, but it is written in such a way that it doesn't feel exploitative.
I really enjoyed the horror element that was added to these already tough elements.
I would definitely recommend.
November 25, 2019
It has been years since I have actually read a book in one-sitting, couldn't put this one down! The storyline focuses on bullying, the evil people involved and the innocent victim, who seeks justified revenge. This storyline really caused my heart to pound and ruffled my feathers, a definite page-turner. I look forward to reading 'all the books' by this author.
August 8, 2019
Only reason I didn't give it 5 stars
it striks me as being more for a younger reader. Otherwise, it is a good read with lots
of imagination and ingenuity.
If you're into revenge, then this one's definitely for you.
it striks me as being more for a younger reader. Otherwise, it is a good read with lots
of imagination and ingenuity.
If you're into revenge, then this one's definitely for you.
January 19, 2024
This is a gut wrenching story about a sweet and innocent teenage kid named John who transfers to a new high school in hopes for a fresh start and an opportunity to make new friends. His first day is already off to an unfortunate start and the humiliation that continues becomes debilitating until one day he is pushed to make the awful heart breaking decision of ending his life.
Vengeance with a twist as John comes back to claim the lives of his bullies one by one. This tragic story made me so sad, the revenge was satisfying but not enough to bring poor John back.
This one was very hard to put down and the author’s writing style flowed really well! Sucked me in from the first chapter, can’t wait to check out more of her books.
Vengeance with a twist as John comes back to claim the lives of his bullies one by one. This tragic story made me so sad, the revenge was satisfying but not enough to bring poor John back.
This one was very hard to put down and the author’s writing style flowed really well! Sucked me in from the first chapter, can’t wait to check out more of her books.
August 20, 2019
#RIPJOHN
This was such a fantastic story it was heartbreaking and chilling at the same time
This author hit a homerun with this must read
❤❤❤☠❤❤❤
This was such a fantastic story it was heartbreaking and chilling at the same time
This author hit a homerun with this must read
❤❤❤☠❤❤❤
May 27, 2021
#RIPJohn is a very heartbreaking tale of a young man who is bullied so bad that his parents get him transferred to a different school. Hoping that this will rectify the bullying issue, but sooner rather than later John begins to be bullied at Pall Mall High.
John has a crush on a girl, but feels he is a nobody. He has been beaten down by several people at the school, no one believes him, but will something good come from all of the bullying? Will John finally get the girl? Will homeschooling be better? Or will the bullies win?
#RIPJohn was a really interesting book, and really hit me right in the heart. Being that I was severely bullied throughout school, and even into adulthood, I could relate. I felt the first half of the book was brilliant, yet hard to read due to it feeling so real. The second half of the book felt as though it fell a bit short. I personally felt like the segments with Devan and Melinda could have been a little more elaborate, more detailed, and have a bit more variety. However, I thought the book as a whole was very good for having a YA novella feel.
Overall, I give #RIPJohn by Sian Claven three nooses out of five bullies. I only made a deduction due to the second half not hitting as hard, and that the Devan and Melinda segments were way too similar. I would have liked to see more creativity there. It is still a decent story, and the first half captures bullying quite well.
John has a crush on a girl, but feels he is a nobody. He has been beaten down by several people at the school, no one believes him, but will something good come from all of the bullying? Will John finally get the girl? Will homeschooling be better? Or will the bullies win?
#RIPJohn was a really interesting book, and really hit me right in the heart. Being that I was severely bullied throughout school, and even into adulthood, I could relate. I felt the first half of the book was brilliant, yet hard to read due to it feeling so real. The second half of the book felt as though it fell a bit short. I personally felt like the segments with Devan and Melinda could have been a little more elaborate, more detailed, and have a bit more variety. However, I thought the book as a whole was very good for having a YA novella feel.
Overall, I give #RIPJohn by Sian Claven three nooses out of five bullies. I only made a deduction due to the second half not hitting as hard, and that the Devan and Melinda segments were way too similar. I would have liked to see more creativity there. It is still a decent story, and the first half captures bullying quite well.
August 20, 2019
Great Book
Read all in one sitting. Great from beginning to end. Looking forward to more from this author. I definitely recommend this book.
Read all in one sitting. Great from beginning to end. Looking forward to more from this author. I definitely recommend this book.
June 16, 2022
This was such a heartbreaking story. It was about John whom was constantly bullied, made fun of, and students pulled pranks on. The last prank hurt him so bad that he decided to do something drastic which was committing suicide. But John got his vengeance on the bullies in the afterlife.
This was a hard story to read because my son has been bullied in some form since Kindergarten but it has not been this extreme. It was hard to read everything John endured on a daily basis by everyone and he was so alone. It was sad. But in the end, he won.
This was a hard story to read because my son has been bullied in some form since Kindergarten but it has not been this extreme. It was hard to read everything John endured on a daily basis by everyone and he was so alone. It was sad. But in the end, he won.
May 13, 2021
I’m a middle and high school teacher. I see and intervene in bullying situations on a daily basis. With cell phones, social media and access to cameras and videos at the tips of their fingers, teens are more likely than ever to be relentlessly bullied and tortured for actions and behaviors that can then be shared with the entire world. When the torture follows you wherever you go, and has the ability to exist long after your tender years, how do you outrun it and move on? How do you make friends when you can’t trust anyone? How do you open your heart to love when it seems everyone is out to hurt you? How do you get over the trauma when you are a daily target?
John was yet another victim in a tragic cycle of teens who get chewed up and spit out by their peers. This story felt real, raw and heartbreaking. The twist at the end was a sad and yet satisfying ending. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
John was yet another victim in a tragic cycle of teens who get chewed up and spit out by their peers. This story felt real, raw and heartbreaking. The twist at the end was a sad and yet satisfying ending. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
March 14, 2020
I enjoyed reading this.
This story brought me back to my childhood. It played out like a high school horror movie I shouldn't have been watching when I was 11. It was like the classic high school horror flick of the 1990's and 80's. Claven paints it so vividly that you could visualize each scene being played out. The classic old hierarchy of high school oozing with toxicity. The stupid adults, the jocks, the popular kids, the nerds, the shallow popular rich girls whose ultimate tragedy will be to always be as superficial as a pothole.
While the bones of this story feel familiar as they do pay homage to the classics, Claven succeeds in adding her own unique flair. What was refreshing to me was how she brings her characters to life by choosing to not make them as one dimensional as we've seen from other horror creators in the past, especially in the case of revenge themed horror. Claven's characters are human. They aren't simply bad people. They are broken, emotional, cowardly, and a hazard to themselves from the start. They are also children standing at the gates of adulthood. Does the world want to welcome the adults they'd become? As you read through these pages you can decide whether or not you side with justice or mercy. Poor John.
While the language in this book reads similar to YA fiction (as it is centered on teenagers after all), it is not intended for younger readers. While there are also a few things that could have been tweaked in editing, this is still an example of good story telling. I think it can be looked passed if you're not entirely grammar focused. Especially if you're looking for a good quick horror read. Your time will be worthwhile. I liked it.
Because this is a standalone I know that the story of John likely ends here. But I found myself still wanting to know what may happen next to a new batch of bullies in this haunted high school.
*Trigger warning for anyone sensitive to topics related to bullying, suicide, and/or statutory rape*
This story brought me back to my childhood. It played out like a high school horror movie I shouldn't have been watching when I was 11. It was like the classic high school horror flick of the 1990's and 80's. Claven paints it so vividly that you could visualize each scene being played out. The classic old hierarchy of high school oozing with toxicity. The stupid adults, the jocks, the popular kids, the nerds, the shallow popular rich girls whose ultimate tragedy will be to always be as superficial as a pothole.
While the bones of this story feel familiar as they do pay homage to the classics, Claven succeeds in adding her own unique flair. What was refreshing to me was how she brings her characters to life by choosing to not make them as one dimensional as we've seen from other horror creators in the past, especially in the case of revenge themed horror. Claven's characters are human. They aren't simply bad people. They are broken, emotional, cowardly, and a hazard to themselves from the start. They are also children standing at the gates of adulthood. Does the world want to welcome the adults they'd become? As you read through these pages you can decide whether or not you side with justice or mercy. Poor John.
While the language in this book reads similar to YA fiction (as it is centered on teenagers after all), it is not intended for younger readers. While there are also a few things that could have been tweaked in editing, this is still an example of good story telling. I think it can be looked passed if you're not entirely grammar focused. Especially if you're looking for a good quick horror read. Your time will be worthwhile. I liked it.
Because this is a standalone I know that the story of John likely ends here. But I found myself still wanting to know what may happen next to a new batch of bullies in this haunted high school.
*Trigger warning for anyone sensitive to topics related to bullying, suicide, and/or statutory rape*
May 3, 2021
John King is the new kid in his high school. A nice, casual guy who enjoys video games and comic books. He falls for a young girl and they seemingly hit it off fast. Then a video appears with a caption of #RIPJohn. This novella is a great reminder that just because society moves on from a tragedy, there is always something lingering that remembers...and it's angry.
August 17, 2019
Firstly there is no sugar coating within this story. It’s about how one persons, or many, words can cause a lifetime of scared memories in someone else. How teasing/ bullying someone can have dire consequences and can cause a person to take drastic measures.
Of course Sian B Claven has put her own sinister twist on this story. It’s raw, heartfelt and a very satisfying vindictive side to it.
Of course Sian B Claven has put her own sinister twist on this story. It’s raw, heartfelt and a very satisfying vindictive side to it.
June 22, 2023
#RIP John by Sian B. Claven
#bullying
Yes, the # is part of the title of the book. I'm not sure what genre to put this book into. I guess since John doesn't "stay dead", it should be considered horror. But it wasn't scary or creepy. Honestly, I think it was a very well done book about the karma of bullying someone. There are 3 people that bully poor John, the new kid, bc he reads "comics". The book does not call them graphic novels. So they must be the standard type of comic books.
I don't usually listen to my books. But I constantly have one going to listen while stretching and doing cervical traction. I'm not a fan of listening to a book any other time bc I get too distracted and lose the story.
But for this book, I did listen. I used Alexa to read it to me. It was the perfect kind of book to listen to.
When I explained this book to my husband he said, "that's horrible". But I personally wish that this book should be passed around the middle schools from friend to friend. Just like how Flowers in the Attic was passed around my school. Maybe there would be less bullying going on. If they were afraid of #karma. But I'm not sure if it might be too scary for kids.
#bullying
Yes, the # is part of the title of the book. I'm not sure what genre to put this book into. I guess since John doesn't "stay dead", it should be considered horror. But it wasn't scary or creepy. Honestly, I think it was a very well done book about the karma of bullying someone. There are 3 people that bully poor John, the new kid, bc he reads "comics". The book does not call them graphic novels. So they must be the standard type of comic books.
I don't usually listen to my books. But I constantly have one going to listen while stretching and doing cervical traction. I'm not a fan of listening to a book any other time bc I get too distracted and lose the story.
But for this book, I did listen. I used Alexa to read it to me. It was the perfect kind of book to listen to.
When I explained this book to my husband he said, "that's horrible". But I personally wish that this book should be passed around the middle schools from friend to friend. Just like how Flowers in the Attic was passed around my school. Maybe there would be less bullying going on. If they were afraid of #karma. But I'm not sure if it might be too scary for kids.
August 31, 2019
Rip John was amazing book one thing I love about sian books the bloody amazing in now a big fan of her books this another amazing one so looking forward to reading more of her other books that due out highly recommend this book so much
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews