Bully
A**R
Bully Review
When I originally bought this book I figured I was in for a heartbreaking, soul crushing, love concurs all sort of book. But this book is nothing like what I expected. NOTHING!To begin with the title of the book "Bully" I would think it would be 100% of female lead Brenna going through some very harsh high school experiences of dealing with a bully. Instead what we get in the first chapter is a detailed account of a naive, idiotic, desperate and frankly sad example of a bully victim. The first chapter alone was very disappointing, all we got was internal dialogue of how she was crushing on Bobby and how much she wanted Bobby so bad, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby! Nowhere did I get any inclination that Brenna was a bully victim. Half way through reading chapter one I thought I had opened the wrong book. For me I lost all respect for Brenna when she mentions Bobby having rebound sex with some random chick and how she desperately wanted to be that girl for Bobby. She wanted to be anything for Bobby, and she would wait for Bobby until he broke up with his GF and then Bobby would be hers for the taking. She was so desperate it was pathetic. It made bully victims look weak and pathetic. This girl is a 16 year old high school kid, but the author made her acting like a twentysomthing promiscuous woman. It seemed like all Brenna wanted was to have sex with Bobby throughout the whole damned book. Nowhere did I get a vibe that Brenna was going through any trauma as a bully victim. She had tons of friends, she had tons of boyfriends, she was happy. The complete antithesis of what a bully victim is. I just didn't get this book. The whole "bully" thing comes from internal monologue from Brenna in her mind it was just pathetic. We as readers are just told about what she went through as a bully victim, which I have no idea what it is besides Dustin kicking her chair and stabbing her with a pen. Other than that, I didn't get to read about what she went through, I would have liked to read her struggles in high school. This book just fell short. As a person who has been subjected to vicious torment from a bully, I know what that's like. And my life was not like Brenna's. Finding a boyfriend and having so many friends would have been a God send! Someone to help me and defend me, but it just seemed so unrealistic and so farfetched for Brenna to have time to think about dating and having so many boyfriends was laughable. I know this book is not supposed to be true in anyway but I like my books to have a smidgen of reality, just a drop of something real. This book just failed to portray that for me. To give a voice on how being a bully victim is an absolute nightmare! This author had a great opportunity to shed some light on what is still a very real nightmare for some, and that is still happening in schools. I won't be reading anything again from this author, and I hope you find this review helpful. Happy reading! :)
M**H
Not exactly what I was expecting.
Brenna and Dustin went to high school together where he tormented her. Brenna does not realize he now attends the same college she is going to. Brenna followed Bobby, her high school crush to college and thinks that maybe this will get him to see that they belong together. Brenna was immature, socially inept and a drama queen. She knew for 4 years that Bobby didn't feel that way about her, yet kept throwing herself at him. I gave Bobby credit for remaining friends with her. Brenna lashes out after getting drunk at a party where Bobby goes off with another girl. Brenna (in all of her inability get that Bobby does not want her) goes in search of him and discovers him having sex with another girl. Brenna is devastated and decides to get drunk and winds up needing the help of Dustin. Dustin rescues Brenna several times from herself and others since she insists upon attending frat parties that always end in disaster for her. Dustin apologizes for the way he treated Brenna and shows her what has caused him to be a changed man. Brenna acts confused and bratty for much of the book and I was unable to like her at all. She got mad at her roommate's friend who dated Bobby (even though the girl had not a clue Brenna even liked Bobby); decided she was going to hang out with her roommate and her friends because she couldn't find any of her own, and decided to cause drama wherever she went. I did like how Dustin gave her time and space and didn't call her out on her immaturity. He was patient and allowed her to figure things out for herself. It was a quick, easy read, but you have to be in the mood for teenage angst in order to truly enjoy it.
M**W
Jumped all over the place
I would have liked more background on Dustin and Brenna. I would have preferred less background on Bobby and Brenna. Actually why was Bobby even such an important character to Brenna or the book itself. Things didn't seem all that natural between Dustin and Brenna, while being super rushed. Also some of the plot twists left me rolling my eyes hard because they were so extra and unnecessary. I will not be reading another book my this author.
K**R
Bully A Bad Boy Romance
Not what I expected. It was a simple story more YA then New Adult. I expected with a title like "Bully" something like Penelope Douglas's Bully or B.B. Reid's Fear Me; even Sam Mariano's Untouchable. This was a very tame bad boy romance that was didn't include the actual reformed bully until the last 1/3 of the book. Very disappointed.
T**
So so
Ok, she spent almost the entire book lusting after another guy. I disliked Brenna so much, because she came across stuck up and a stalker. Mentioning she went to that college to follow a boy may have something to do with it. Was there not another way for her and Dustin to come in contact except for a frat party and getting drunk. Now Dustin gave us no reason why he liked her, he gave us reason why his isnt the same person, but what make him into her. I didnt dislike this book, just wish it was more developed.
K**R
Cute story, but lacking
I enjoyed the book, although something felt lacking. The read was really short and it didn't feel like there was really an actual foundation to the relationship. Meanwhile the Bobby thing seemed just odd and kinda forced, esp towards the end. I wish the book was rewritten into a longer, more involved story, that lets us see into the bullying that we barely hear about way after the fact, more of a build up of the relationship, and even more between Bobby and Brin. A decent read but could be so much better.
A**C
I'm gonna need my dollars back....
Next to no character development. I hate to be a jerk, but this book did not do it for me. It's like the author didn't want to actually write a book, rather she recapped a pretty boring story.You don't have any idea who this girl is, what she likes, why she is in school, none of it.Instead of telling a story, she gives short examples of bullying.
C**B
3.5 stars
I received this book via promo code and this is my honest voluntary review.Standalone College Hi-Jinks. This book isn't your typical enemies-to-lovers Bully trope.Brenna is very delusional... and has an unhealthily obsession with her friend Bobby, she's chased him around like a Dawson Leery style lovesick pup most of high school and now that he's finally single, having broken up with his girlfriend Christine, she is hoping that now would be her chance. What she gets is ignored as he rebound plows his way through most girls on campus, the first frat party of the year brings her face to face with Dustin Nikoli, her own personal hell, the guy who bullied her in High School. He's nothing like the boy she remembers, hes repentant. She just wanted to dissolve into the paint but recent scenes involving her beloved Bobby have her making terrible decisions, Dustin spent most of his time saving Brenna from herself and those occurrences become so frequent you want him to shake her stalker-self into some modicum of sanity. Eventually the pair form a reluctant friendship and start a relationship. She begins to see theres more to the guy who was her high school nightmare and the reason behind his attempts at seeking redemption will break your heart.
E**2
Shockingly bad
If I could I would give it no stars! I hate leaving a bad review on anything but the writing style, characters, and plot of the story is so shockingly bad I'm frustrated I paid money for it. The first part of the story seems from a different book and the lead female character is written so pathetically i could not continue reading. Worst book I have read in my life, DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!
M**E
Good value for money
Great reading
K**R
Not for me.
Unfortunately I did not like or dislike any of the characters and that was the problem. I have only wrote this review, as I choose this book on the amount of stars and I feel it has been overrated. Sorry just my opinion, may not be everybody's.
L**K
I quite enjoyed this book and the story line
I quite enjoyed this book and the story line, its an easy read. I wish it had a bit more depth to it.
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