Tease by Amanda Maciel

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A fine book about a tough subject, with the unexpected side of the story being told.

Emma Putnam killed herself last spring--and Sara is blamed. It was her and her best friend Brielle's bullying that led her to take her own life; at least, that's what everyone at school, the media and Emma's parents think. Sara and three of her friends are being charged for harassment and stalking.

And now Sara's alone. The only problem is, she doesn't think it's her fault, and no one agrees. Sure, she picked on Emma. But so did everyone else. And it's not like Emma was perfect, she wasn't the innocent victim that everyone has made her out to be. But as Sara recalls the moments that are being pointed out against her, she realizes that it's not about blame. It's about regret.

This book had a lot of potential. It could have been incredible. But something was missing. I don't know what exactly, but Tease was just lacking.

I liked that it was written from the opposite side. Usually, novels about bullying are written from the victim's point of view--and rightfully so. It's their story that deserves to be heard, and understood. But it was incredible to read a book from the bully's. Especially because this is such a tricky scenario. Sara didn't actually kill anybody. She didn't hang Emma Putnam. But in a way, she did. Her words and actions made Emma want to disappear. So she did. But we still live in a world where that conclusion is a murky one, because can we really blame someone else for what was obviously self-inflicted? Who knows.

I thought Sara was a great character. I sympathized with her, which surprised me. She's a bully, and she does some really mean things. But she never thought her actions would result in Emma's death--she just wanted Emma to transfer schools. And yeah, Emma wasn't perfect. She was bitchy too and vindictive too, but Sara and Brielle were worse. Brielle, actually, was hard to read about. She was a terrible person. I felt negative a thousand percent sorry for her. She had zero remorse for her actions.

But like I said, this book just didn't make me feel...much of anything. I wasn't moved like I should have been. However, it's a pretty interesting point of view, and I think people should check it out.



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