Title: Bully (Far Away #1)
Author: Penelope Douglas
Synopsis: 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.
My review:
Bully is part of my RARE Event challenge
and is the first book I´ve read by Penelope Douglas.
Since I read the synopsis I had a bad
feeling about this book because I don´t like bullies and as I knew it would
happen, this book made me get crazy in a bad way but also in a good way. When I
finished it my head was a turmoil of mixed feelings.
As a reader I knew I had a problem when
Jared appeared, he was completely hot but at the same time an awful person. And
if you don´t like one of the main characters it is really difficult to enjoy
the reading. Bullying, the main issue of the novel, is the thing that disturbed
me the most about this book.
I think Jared should have man up and face
his problems with Tate, if he couldn´t do it when his problems started then try
later but bullying is never ok.
I liked Tate, I really liked that she is a
strong character that knew that what Jared was doing was completely wrong, even
if from the beginning we know they are going to end up together, the fact that
she fights against it for most of the book, made her win some points.
I thought that after knowing what
was behind Jared´s behaviour I would understand him better, but no, I know what
happened to him was fucked up but he could have done a lot of other things, I
don´t see any logic in pushing away the most important person of your life and
when he has decided he had enough just take her back, it was wrong in so many
levels.
This book was kind of reading a child
quarrel in teenage bodies but I don´t know the author narrates the story in a
way that she makes you like he book, maybe is that the book is narrated from
Tate´s POV and she was a strong character. Maybe if I read Until You I will
understand Jared better than I do know.
To sum up this turmoil of ideas: I liked
the book, well written, strong heroine, bad boy character with some fucked up
ways to show it, some sweet moments, lots of sexual tension. And just to be
clear bullying is wrong in every level, fight against it, don´t let other
mistreat you, no matter their reasons, bullying should always be condemned.
