Synopsis (taken from Goodreads.com):
My name is Tate. He doesn't call me that, though. He would never refer to me so informally, if he referred to me at all.
We're neighbors, and once, we were best friends. But then, one summer, he turned on me and has made it his mission to screw up my life at every opportunity. I've been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got more sadistic as time wore on, and I made myself sick trying to hide from him. I worried about what was around every corner and behind every door.
So I left.
I spent a year studying abroad and bathed in the freedom of life without Jared. Now I'm back to finish up high school and get the hell out of here forever. I'm hoping that after a year of breathing room, he's moved on and forgotten all about me.
But even if he hasn't changed, I have. I'm not interested in avoiding him or turning the other cheek anymore. We're going to go head to head, because neither of us wants to back down.
Thoughts:
I think I'm on a crazy reading streak because I literally finished this book in one sitting and picked up its companion Until You (Fall Away 1.5) within an hour. And about 2 hours ago before I sit here writing this review, I finished Until You. First off it has been awhile since I get to read such an engaging book as Bully (and of all things, it's YA Contemporary!). Honestly I can't say one bad thing about this (okay maybe I can but it's really petty) so expect this review to be a rant why this is such a great book!
Let's just start on what I don't love about Bully. Might as well get the petty matter out of the way first. I really am disappointed with the cover. I love the idea behind it but it looks cheap and amateur-ish. I understand that Bully is an e-book and you know, Douglas is probably using her own money to push this book out so she can't afford fancy bookcover art so I get it. It doesn't bother me too much but I would probably be embarrassed to be caught reading a book that looks like that in public.
Onto what I LOVE:
a) There's nothing too special about Douglas's writing style but this goes to show the power of a strong plot. The premise is simple but this book has a strong story to tell and it is consistent throughout every parts of the novel. It just demands your full attention and I can bet you that you will be reading this book to the end.
b) As if it is not obvious enough, the social issue that this book covers is bullying. Douglas paints a realistic picture of all the pains and struggles one goes through when she has to face with bullying at school. Her characters are realistically mean not with the exaggerated lines or actions that one may expect when reading a book. Often we see characters that are supposed to portray a real-life figure but Douglas's mean characters could be actual real-life people. I am utterly convinced that Douglas might have gone through the experience of being bullied or witness an event such as that.
c) I LOVE TATE! She's so badass. While Douglas doesn't discuss how Tate was in those years she was bullied heavily by Jared, it is great to see someone who takes the matter into her own hands. No matter how scared she is. Also I see a bit of myself in her so I'm a fan. She's such an emotional character but the grit in this girl will knock your socks off. Definitely one of my favourite heroines in YA so far.
d) The story between Jared and Tate is so sweet and hot at the same time. Oh yeah, it definitely got a bit hot and heavy towards the end but what I'm in it for is their past friendship. Now I wish I had a best guy friend so I probably have a shot at having a story like theirs! HA.HA. I can definitely relate to the loss of losing a bestfriend and Douglas manages to capture those emotions very well.
I am so invested in these two that I picked up Until You which is written from Jared's point of view. Now I'm not a big fan of dual perspectives because it ruins the mystery. I love knowing from one point of view because I get to feel like I'm that character. Childish, I know. Also I don't often favour a male perspective because believe it or not, it is for the mere reason that I am not a male. I would highly recommend for you to read Until You if you enjoyed Bully. There's quite a lot of new material in there and you will really get to know more about Jared.
The next book in the series will be on Mudoc and I'm not sure whether I'll like it. Mudoc comes off really annoying rather than endearing in Bully but he does seem to have some redeeming qualities in Until You. Honestly I don't know how I feel about that but Douglas did promise that Tate and Jared are going to be strong side characters in the upcoming books. So let's just see...
Overall Rating: 4 out 5
Obsession Rating: 5 out of 5
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