Sandra @ My Fiction Nook

It took me a couple of days before I could figure out what to say about this book, and I might still fail to convey exactly what I want to say, but please bear with me.

First off - girls can be bullies too. It is made extremely clear in this book that bullying isn't something that only comes from boys. And in some cases, girls are worse. The girls in this book, the "Queen Bees" at the fictional Benjamin Franklin High, are vindictive, cruel, evil, and bordering on sociopaths. These girls, one in particular, the self-proclaimed leader of what I like to call the Bitch Brigade, made me rage and shout and clench my fists in helpless anger. I wanted to reach into the book multiple times and do to them exactly what they were doing to Casey Minton.

Secondly - if you see bullying happening, and you stand by silently, whether it be out of fear or curiosity; when you do nothing to help out the person being bullied, you might as well join the ranks of the tormenters. Your silence conveys approval - so, please, do not be silent. Do not stand idly by. 

We were scared that the in-crowd would turn on us (like beautiful, but red-eyed, all-powerful and ravenous vampires in a ruthless search for blood - just to give you a visual) if we defended him. 

And thirdly, I was sucked in from the first word on the first page, shocking as it may be to watch/read, and this book still hasn't let me go. I couldn't stop reading, I neglected all else, and just watched in wonder and with barely suppressed anger as the story unfolded.

I had some reservation initially, what with the menage insinuation, because, hello, young adult novel, but the intimate situations were handled beautifully, emotionally and carefully, and their relationship made sense. I believed them, when they began to feel more than gratitude, when they learned about each other and saw that there was much more to each of the other two they had previously overlooked. Or not bothered to see. They each found in the other two something they needed, whether it was acceptance, or support, family, or just the strength to be who they really were inside. 

Casey, Nate and Zander - I loved all three of them. Unique in their own ways, sweet, caring, supportive, and loving, struggling, faltering, persevering. I loved how they learned about each other, how they saw beyond the walls that had been erected, and how they came together to form such strong bonds that withstood even the worst those ugly-hearted girls were dishing out. I loved how they found a way to fight back, to stand up to the bullies, to figure out what they could do to change the situation, without resorting to violence and bullying themselves. 

If you aren't acting to stop the bullying, then you are part of the problem. 

The ride Mia Kerick takes us on is a bumpy one, no doubt about it. It's a rollercoaster, it's filled with pit falls and hellish situations, but it's also full of love and family, and three amazing young men of whom, by the end of the book, I was immensely proud. 

I really liked the way this story was told - in three distinctive voices - with diary entries for Nate, emails from Zander to his brother, and a clean narration from Casey. There was very little overlap, and it was always clear who was talking at the time. 

I am thankful that I was able to read this book prior to publication, grateful for the chance to immerse myself into this amazing book, and I strongly recommend that you get your own copy as soon as you can.

I want this to be on the list for every High School teacher, so that they may share the lessons from this book with their students, open a conversation, and contribute to end bullying. 

Be kind to each other. The person next to you, for whom you haven't spared more than a thought, might need it more than you can possibly imagine. First impressions can be wrong, and a second look might lead to something you never expected. 

** I received a free ARC from the publisher. A positive review was not promised in return. **