lexyg's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
DNF at page 50. This was pointless, and awful, omg, all the slut shaming, all the horrible, horrible characters! I can’t do this, I’m angry at everyone.
rhysciar's review
3.0
1 csillag az idegesítő karakterek miatt, 1 pedig a túl gyors és könnyű lezárás miatt.
jackiestone's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved this book. It talked about so many really important topics that haven't been breached in a lot of the books I've read. There was such a thin line between good and evil in the books. I got to read this book from a lot of different perspectives so I really got to see how every different kind of person in every social standing would view this situation. This book was unflinchingly honest and I admired that. More books should be like this one. I highly recommend it.
dmackw's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Writing was great for that high school reading level. I’ve noticed a lot of negative reviews simply due to disliking the characters of this book and that… was literally the point.
This is a very realistic book when it comes to what high school, bullying, hard home lives, and overall teenage years are like. High school was really fucking hard for me so this was triggering and it brought back so many memories. Not the good kind.
I really wish kids, or teenagers, were taught in more depth about the importance of bullying. I get schools say “bullying is not tolerated” and act like they do something to stop it but they really don’t. If anything half the teachers are just as fucking bad if not worse than the students bro. It’s a game and funny to make others feel terrible just because they have different interests, or less money, not very nice clothes. Or they are miserable themselves and project their own insecurities on others to feel better. And it leads to self harm, bad decisions, isolation, depression, and sometimes ending your own life.
Yes, I disliked a lot of characters in this book. But it’s truly represents the reality of high school. The book did it’s job.
This is a very realistic book when it comes to what high school, bullying, hard home lives, and overall teenage years are like. High school was really fucking hard for me so this was triggering and it brought back so many memories. Not the good kind.
I really wish kids, or teenagers, were taught in more depth about the importance of bullying. I get schools say “bullying is not tolerated” and act like they do something to stop it but they really don’t. If anything half the teachers are just as fucking bad if not worse than the students bro. It’s a game and funny to make others feel terrible just because they have different interests, or less money, not very nice clothes. Or they are miserable themselves and project their own insecurities on others to feel better. And it leads to self harm, bad decisions, isolation, depression, and sometimes ending your own life.
Yes, I disliked a lot of characters in this book. But it’s truly represents the reality of high school. The book did it’s job.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Pregnancy, Car accident, Death, and Emotional abuse
sjj169's review against another edition
5.0
This short little book blew me away. Told from four different perspectives and very well written. This author knows her stuff.
Alice is labeled a slut. You heard the rumors-she slept with 2 boys at a party. She is easy. Then come to find out one of the boys she slept with died..and guess what? Well he may have been drinking but it was Alice's texts that distracted him from driving.
You have his best friend speaking. The easy going second in command from the football team.
The popular pretty girl, she knows what she knows about Alice. It's all got to be true.
Alice's had been best friend who turned against her once the rumors started flying.
Then my favorite male character ever in a young adult book. Kurt. He is that nerdy guy who no one ever hangs out with anyways.
They all tell their stories of Alice. How they see her and their versions of events.
This book is pure delight to read. It does tear your heart out that teenagers can be so damn stupid. I wouldn't go back to that age for all the money in the world. Youth be damned.
Wanna be authors take note! This is how it is done. This is Jennifer Mathieu's first flipping book! She writes like a seasoned pro.
Alice is labeled a slut. You heard the rumors-she slept with 2 boys at a party. She is easy. Then come to find out one of the boys she slept with died..and guess what? Well he may have been drinking but it was Alice's texts that distracted him from driving.
You have his best friend speaking. The easy going second in command from the football team.
The popular pretty girl, she knows what she knows about Alice. It's all got to be true.
Alice's had been best friend who turned against her once the rumors started flying.
Then my favorite male character ever in a young adult book. Kurt. He is that nerdy guy who no one ever hangs out with anyways.
They all tell their stories of Alice. How they see her and their versions of events.
This book is pure delight to read. It does tear your heart out that teenagers can be so damn stupid. I wouldn't go back to that age for all the money in the world. Youth be damned.
Wanna be authors take note! This is how it is done. This is Jennifer Mathieu's first flipping book! She writes like a seasoned pro.
vitsa's review
3.0
An ok YA book, really quick to read.
The thing that really annoyed me were the characters, a bunch of vain, selfish liars - the lot of them.
Funnily enough Elaine - the so-called queen bee was the most likable of them all, she was the only one I could understand and sympathise with.
I felt like strangling Kelsi - no amount of bad things that may have happened to her can justify the kind of behavior she was exhibiting.
Josh was an annoying prick, also nothing to excuse his shameless lying.
Brandon - asshole - although they do say not to speak ill of the dead.
Kurt and Alice were the only ones whom I actually liked.
But I guess the fact that I got angry about this means I started caring about them.
The book lost stars for the over simplification, and the unsatisfactory ending - personally I just wanted to see all those despicable human beings get what was coming to them - my thirst for blood was not satisfied.
The thing that really annoyed me were the characters, a bunch of vain, selfish liars - the lot of them.
Funnily enough Elaine - the so-called queen bee was the most likable of them all, she was the only one I could understand and sympathise with.
I felt like strangling Kelsi - no amount of bad things that may have happened to her can justify the kind of behavior she was exhibiting.
Josh was an annoying prick, also nothing to excuse his shameless lying.
Brandon - asshole - although they do say not to speak ill of the dead.
Kurt and Alice were the only ones whom I actually liked.
But I guess the fact that I got angry about this means I started caring about them.
The book lost stars for the over simplification, and the unsatisfactory ending - personally I just wanted to see all those despicable human beings get what was coming to them - my thirst for blood was not satisfied.
rachielove9's review
4.0
This is a short little novel that screams so much truth it hurts.
This is not a literary masterpiece, and I don't know if it's destined for impressive reviews. But you know what? I don't read books for their literary quality. I read books that speak to the heart, books that don't shy away from reality.
This book, you guys. This is real. This is high school in any small town, this is the rumor mill and the gossip mongers and the damage that's done with just one lie. This book is about following the pack, how easy it is to just fall in line with everyone else instead of standing up for what is right. There are so many stories about people who do that--the right thing. But in reality, how many people DO the right thing? Isn't it more common that people follow their pack leaders? I'm speaking specifically of high school culture here, but it happens in the adult world, too.
I found this book refreshing. Terribly sad, but refreshing. I liked the voices; I liked hearing the different perspectives and putting it all in order and following along as something snowballed into an avalanche of terror for one poor girl. I think this is an important book for any teenager to read. I think it speaks to how it feels to be on both sides of any situation and how important it is to seek out truth instead of rumors. I'll be passing this along to all of my teens at the library, and heres to hoping it makes a difference.
PS- I really loved that this book, while it didn't shy away from the reality of how one small lie can ruin a girl's life, didn't result in a suicide. I hesitate when it comes to books like "13 Reasons Why" because I don't know what kind of moral lesson that presents young girls with. This book shows a girl who faces "the worst" and comes out the other side. She's not all better in the end, it doesn't end with a happily ever after everyone found out the truth kind of thing, it just shows that it's possible to survive and move on and be better than the situation. And I really, really liked that.
This is not a literary masterpiece, and I don't know if it's destined for impressive reviews. But you know what? I don't read books for their literary quality. I read books that speak to the heart, books that don't shy away from reality.
This book, you guys. This is real. This is high school in any small town, this is the rumor mill and the gossip mongers and the damage that's done with just one lie. This book is about following the pack, how easy it is to just fall in line with everyone else instead of standing up for what is right. There are so many stories about people who do that--the right thing. But in reality, how many people DO the right thing? Isn't it more common that people follow their pack leaders? I'm speaking specifically of high school culture here, but it happens in the adult world, too.
I found this book refreshing. Terribly sad, but refreshing. I liked the voices; I liked hearing the different perspectives and putting it all in order and following along as something snowballed into an avalanche of terror for one poor girl. I think this is an important book for any teenager to read. I think it speaks to how it feels to be on both sides of any situation and how important it is to seek out truth instead of rumors. I'll be passing this along to all of my teens at the library, and heres to hoping it makes a difference.
PS- I really loved that this book, while it didn't shy away from the reality of how one small lie can ruin a girl's life, didn't result in a suicide. I hesitate when it comes to books like "13 Reasons Why" because I don't know what kind of moral lesson that presents young girls with. This book shows a girl who faces "the worst" and comes out the other side. She's not all better in the end, it doesn't end with a happily ever after everyone found out the truth kind of thing, it just shows that it's possible to survive and move on and be better than the situation. And I really, really liked that.
theintrovertedbookmark's review
4.0
I started this book earlier this afternoon and couldn't put it down! And now that I have finished reading it I am still trying to process my emotions. Mathieu's portrayal of high school drama and rumors reminds me of my days as a teen, though I don't recall any of us ever being that malicious to one another. I found it so difficult to hate the mean popular kids because the story was told through their point of view as well, making them easy to relate to. It was like Mean Girls but a whole new level of awesome, and while none of the characters were trying to make fetch happen it was chalk full of deliciously accurate stereotypes.
It's hard to fathom that this is Mathieu's debut novel, and it's safe to say that it certainly will not be her last. The characters are well developed and realistic, the story-line is interesting and believable, and there are not enough words in the English language for me to describe just how much I loved this story.
It's hard to fathom that this is Mathieu's debut novel, and it's safe to say that it certainly will not be her last. The characters are well developed and realistic, the story-line is interesting and believable, and there are not enough words in the English language for me to describe just how much I loved this story.
littlefoot10's review
4.0
I must say this book really got me hooked. I originally bought this because it seems like a book everyone should read and know about. It's about high school and rumors and how once something is said it can never be taken back. This novel shows the strength and grace of Alice. It's shown through the eyes of some of Alice's classmates and we are told their sides of things, their actions, and the consequences of those actions towards Alice. Kurt was really amazing, and just made me really happy that Alice had someone like that in her life. Everyone else... ugh it was honestly hard to read at times because I just don't understand how someone can be that cruel to another...but it happens, especially in high school. Anyways this was definitely worth a read, and it's really a rather short book as well, so pick it up and read it!