Rating: 4.5 stars
Cover Rating: 3.5 stars (Neat.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: September 6, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 339 p.
Dear Bully is an anthology of seventy authors writing about their experiences with bullying. Some were bullied and some were bullies. Some watched bullying happen and stood by, others took action and stood up against the attackers. Not all people are equal, but all of them were shaped by these moments. What they did or did not do and what did or did not happen. Every moment matters.
This anthology was not as depressing as I though it would be. It had a very hope-filled tone about it. Which may or may not be a good thing. While this anthology was amazing, I felt it was lacking something. None of the stories were brutal enough. I'm not trying to discount anyone's trauma. I just felt like none of these seemed "that" bad. My only fear with this is that a kid who is being tied to a fence and beaten on a regular basis, or raped because of their gender identity, is going to read this and think "Yeah, it got better for you because it wasn't that bad."Everyone handles bullying differently. It's the adults that should be handling it though, and they should do so with an iron fist. Bullying CANNOT be tolerated. Every time you let a snide remark slide, that cuts a person down. Even if it doesn't seem to bother them, it could be. I identified a lot with Lauren Oliver's story, because high school wasn't that bad for me. Middle school was completely horrible, and If I was a weaker kid and had no support system, I may not have made it through. In high school though, it seemed that all that harassment just faded away, it helped to have a vice principal who didn't penalize the victim. I really liked what Lauren said about people just needing to think outside the box more, and accept what they find. If you believe homosexuality is wrong, fine, don't be friends with someone who is gay. That doesn't mean you have to call them names, or follow them home to beat the crap out of them. I think people just need to take into consideration that IT DOES NOT AFFECT THEM! If a guy likes to wear pink, who cares? If a girl likes to kiss girls, who cares? It does not affect you if you just leave them alone. If people weren't supposed to be the way they are, they wouldn't be the way they are. Okay, mini-rant over. This book was a fantastic idea though, and it was touching having these authors reveal so much of themselves. They revealed weakness and guilt and regret. It can be hard to admit that you were bullied, or that you bullied someone or that you stood by and said nothing. Each one of these stories was touching in their own way. Some were even slightly amusing (R.L. Stine). I definitely think every single person who can read, should read this. It will open eyes and maybe just maybe it will stop a few people from bullying, give someone the courage to get out of a bad friendship. Every single action counts, because every moment counts in a person's life.
First Line:
"Dear Bully,
I'm not sure if you remember me."
Favorite Line:
"In the light of a new day,
we stand side by side
and we tell the world
we must not tolerate hatred,
able to see
it is us
who will bring change."
I just got this one and I'm eager to read it. I wouldn't say excited though, considering the subject manner, but I do want to read it. It does sound kind of bad when you say the stories aren't harsh enough, but I think I'm going to agree with you because some name-calling is nothing compared to what some kids may be experiencing. And as helpful as this book may be, I think others are going to see it as nothing compared to what they are going through.
ReplyDeleteAll that being said, it's incredible that so many authors came together to support one cause and share their stories.