Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Bully by Penelope Douglas

59 reviews

kerrythefire's review against another edition

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3.25

So toxic. So much body betrayal. Jared's rationale was stupid and flawed af. He did not serve enough penance to gain Tate's forgiveness. The conflict at the very end (
Tate thinking Jared recorded and sent the video
) shows that they are going to have massive trust issues in their relationship for a while. I also still don't entirely understand what K.C.'s thought process was with Jared... but in general, it's been a while since I was 17 or thinking like a 17 year old 😆

Also a lot of sexual assault and sexual harassment. (Which honeslty, probably is a realistic representation of high school, sadly.) And I don't love that were supposed to overlook that on Madoc's part, not just in this book but the next which is his book. Nate and Piper were super gross. Jared was not the only bully in this book. 

In general there were some major logic holes and character gaps in this story, but... I still didn't hate it. Good steam. Good fiesty dialogue (even if it didn't always makes sense/was unhealthy). Kept me decently entertained and anxious. 

Also, all the 2000s/2010s emo/metal bands and songs name drops were... a choice. I mean, I listened to all of it so not hating on the music... just that all the name drops were sorta shoe-horned in there.
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boopanda's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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ew_iceberg's review against another edition

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dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I liked it, didn't love it but it was good. I got mad secondhand embarrassment at a few points. Characters weren't horrible but sometimes annoyed me. It had a good storyline that kept me interested, especially towards the end I read it so fast lol! 
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angelasimpson's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Tate and Jared were best friends, until they weren't. Overnight he became her bully, tormenting her for years until she couldn't take it any more. After an exchange year overseas Tate returns home ready to change the game, to fight back, but is she ready to learn the truth?
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grapecola's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Bully by Penelope Douglas is a good, easy read that I’d rate around 3.5. While I enjoyed the story, I found the plot to be quite predictable, which detracted from my overall experience.

One of my main issues was my inability to connect with the characters. Typically, I’m easy to please, but I didn’t feel invested in their relationship. The female main character, Tate, often frustrated me with her lack of self-respect; despite being bullied by Jared. 

Jared, the male main character, was equally hard to like, given his harsh treatment of Tate. His reasoning often left me questioning how someone could put another person through such emotional turmoil and yet them doing nothing wrong.

Despite these shortcomings, Bully is still an engaging read, and I appreciated the themes it explored. If you enjoy stories with a mix of romance and tension, it might be worth picking up.
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beebowbabe's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.5

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pippamillerxoxo_'s review against another edition

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emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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amanda_reads13's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Jared and Tate were joined by the hip as kids, but all that changed after the summer they turned 14. 

I am torn. I literally tore through this book. BUT I really wish this hadn't been set in high school, for obvious reasons. Though the age of them could explain some of the dumb and ridiculous decisions they made. 

You can't help but feel for Jared. He
suffered horrific abused from his father.
That said, it doesn't justify what he did to Tate. Yes, he was a kid and yes his reaction to be jealous of her "perfect" family was understandable, but you would think he would see the error of his ways as he grew up. Some simple communication would have mended their relationship years ago. Instead he allowed his jealousy to justify bullying her for years. 

I do really like Jared. HE NEEDS THERAPY and has some growing up to do, but I think he truly loves Tate. He has not always shown it, but she has always been the constant in his life. 

Tate has returned from a year in France and has finally grew a backbone. She has decided not ignore Jared's antics, but turns to retaliation instead. Her actions really demonstrated how young and immature she is. She makes so many dumb and unsafe choices that could jeopardize her future. 

Why are all these parents so absent?! How are there zero consequences for these kids actions? How does a student release a sex tape of classmates and just get away with it? Wtf?! How does an entire school population basically gaslight Tate into thinking she is crazy for being angry with Jared?! 

Can we talk about KC for a minute? She is a terrible friend! Who dates a guy who has been torturing your best friend. Nope. Drop her like a rock. She is the worst. Not only does she hook up with Jared but she then gaslights Tate. Nope. Bye. 

Tropes: childhood best friends, enemies to lovers, bully
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funshine3's review against another edition

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tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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samantha914's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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