This book is cautionary tale about bullying. In the story, Sara, is angry with Emma, who she thinks is trying to steal Sara's boyfriend. Apparently, Emma has been quite popular with quite a few of the boys and Sara and her friends don't view the competition well. Emma is portrayed as both a victim and an offender. The reader never really gets a clear sense of who she is, but then, the story really isn't about her. It's about what happens after.
The lengths that Sara and Brielle went to, in order to bully Emma, were typical of the way girls ostracize one another. Girls are so quick to label someone a "slut" or a "tease" with no read understanding of what the implications of that teasing will be. The rise of social media, like Facebook, and the anonymity it provides, has only made the problem worse.
This story greatly reminded me of the tragic true story of Phoebe Prince, an Irish girl who moved to Massachusetts with her family. Phoebe was horribly bullied and committed suicide, as a result. In the Prince case, 6 students were tried for their involvement in her harassment.
I think this is an interesting story because it shows the effect of bullying on both the bully and the victim. I thought that the story line was a bit predictable and at times, the sudden change in time and location was challenging to follow. I think a better choice to truly see how our actions can and do effect others is the absolutely wonderul 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. This one was a 3/ 5 for me.
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