JUNE 2014 - AudioFile
Julia Whelan’s portrayal of first-person narrator Sara Wharton may make listeners uncomfortable. Whelan leads them inside the psyche of a 16-year-old “mean girl” who is so entrenched in defending her bullying that she can’t accept the slightest responsibility for actions that have led to a classmate’s suicide. As Whelan voices Sara’s self-pity and indignation at being named in a lawsuit, her reading is so convincing and the details so well wrought that listeners may have to take an audio break. Don’t quit! A fuller portrait emerges near the end, providing a much needed resolution. Gradually, Whelan expresses the hurt and fear that lurk below Sara’s cruel actions, allowing listeners to feel compassion as the remorseful protagonist, surprisingly, becomes a sympathetic character. S.W. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
03/10/2014
Inspired by a real-life case of bullying and suicide, editor Maciel’s debut novel depicts a harsh environment of name-calling, both face-to-face and via social media, and girls policing other girls’ behavior. When new student Emma seems to have eyes for Sara’s boyfriend, Dylan, Sara and her best friend Brielle label Emma a slut. Maciel isn’t telling Emma’s story—she’s telling Sara’s, in sections that alternate between the escalating bullying and the aftermath, with Emma dead and Sara stuck in summer school and her lawyer’s and therapist’s offices. It’s hard to be with Sara as she insists that it’s Emma’s fault, that “No one hung the rope for her,” but as Maciel reveals Sara’s desperate efforts to hang onto a social viability that’s tied to Brielle and Dylan, the pressures of her world become clear. It’s to the author’s credit that she doesn’t make Sara immediately sympathetic, but the end, with Sara moving forward in a way that incorporates what happened rather than denying it, although welcome, feels rushed. Ages 14–up. Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Leavell Literary Agency. (May)
From the Publisher
Horrifying. Satisfying. Remarkable in so many ways. Tease is a brave debut.” — Ellen Hopkins, New York Times bestselling author
“Tease masterfully shows that when it comes to bullying, nothing is black and white, no side of the story is the only side of the story, and there are no winners. A compulsive read, and an absolute must-add to all bullying discussions.” — Jennifer Brown, author of The Hate List
“Amanda Maciel’s timely exploration of bullying pulls no punches. Tease is a bold, hard-hitting and memorable debut that needs to be read and talked about.” — Courtney Summers, author of This is Not a Test
“Tease is a book I wish I’d written—shocking, subtle, and emotionally raw.” — Katie Cotugno, author of How to Love
“An emotional, deftly paced and heartbreaking first novel.” — Kirkus Reviews
“That the story is told from a bully’s perspective adds complexity to this compelling, ripped-from-the-headlines novel. This nuanced look at a controversial topic will keep readers hooked until its satisfying conclusion and makes great fodder for discussion among high school students.” — School Library Journal
“This powerful and realistic Mean Girls story had us addicted from page one... A thought provoking must-read that haunted us after the last page.” — Justine Magazine
“First-time novelist Maciel has done an exemplary job of giving readers a multidimensional portrait of a bully that is psychologically acute and emotionally resonant. Realistic and suffused with truth, Tease is an excellent choice for both independent reading and classroom use.” — Booklist
“Riveting page-turner.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
“The novel enters fearsome territory honestly and will give teenagers a great deal to think about.” — Newsday
Jennifer Brown
Tease masterfully shows that when it comes to bullying, nothing is black and white, no side of the story is the only side of the story, and there are no winners. A compulsive read, and an absolute must-add to all bullying discussions.
Courtney Summers
Amanda Maciel’s timely exploration of bullying pulls no punches. Tease is a bold, hard-hitting and memorable debut that needs to be read and talked about.
Katie Cotugno
Tease is a book I wish I’d written—shocking, subtle, and emotionally raw.
Ellen Hopkins
Horrifying. Satisfying. Remarkable in so many ways. Tease is a brave debut.
Newsday
The novel enters fearsome territory honestly and will give teenagers a great deal to think about.
Booklist
First-time novelist Maciel has done an exemplary job of giving readers a multidimensional portrait of a bully that is psychologically acute and emotionally resonant. Realistic and suffused with truth, Tease is an excellent choice for both independent reading and classroom use.
Justine Magazine
This powerful and realistic Mean Girls story had us addicted from page one... A thought provoking must-read that haunted us after the last page.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Riveting page-turner.
Booklist
First-time novelist Maciel has done an exemplary job of giving readers a multidimensional portrait of a bully that is psychologically acute and emotionally resonant. Realistic and suffused with truth, Tease is an excellent choice for both independent reading and classroom use.
JUNE 2014 - AudioFile
Julia Whelan’s portrayal of first-person narrator Sara Wharton may make listeners uncomfortable. Whelan leads them inside the psyche of a 16-year-old “mean girl” who is so entrenched in defending her bullying that she can’t accept the slightest responsibility for actions that have led to a classmate’s suicide. As Whelan voices Sara’s self-pity and indignation at being named in a lawsuit, her reading is so convincing and the details so well wrought that listeners may have to take an audio break. Don’t quit! A fuller portrait emerges near the end, providing a much needed resolution. Gradually, Whelan expresses the hurt and fear that lurk below Sara’s cruel actions, allowing listeners to feel compassion as the remorseful protagonist, surprisingly, becomes a sympathetic character. S.W. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2014-02-05
An intense examination of bullying from a seldom-heard-from side: the bully's. After months of physical and verbal intimidation, stalking and cyberbullying, 16-year-old Emma Putnam hangs herself. Her classmates, high school juniors Sara Wharton, Brielle Greggs, and several of their friends are being held accountable for playing a role in Emma's death. Sara narrates the story in chapters that alternate between the present and the two months leading up to Emma's death. Readers will surely hate Sara from the start. She shows no remorse for tormenting Emma, the school "slut," whom Sara sees as a threat intent on stealing her boyfriend, Dylan. Sara and Brielle launch a full-on campaign against Emma, with each "prank" more vicious than the last. After Emma's death, the bully becomes the bullied, and Sara finds herself being made fun of, ignored and called a slut herself. She finds a friend in summer school classmate Carmichael, who is sympathetic to both Sara and Emma and who reminds readers there are two sides to every story. The moving story is informed by the 2010 bullying and suicide of Massachusetts teen Phoebe Prince and is bound to open up debate on who is to blame when a bullied teen commits suicide. Maciel includes an author's note describing her decision to write the book as well as a list of anti-bullying resources. An emotional, deftly paced and heartbreaking first novel. (Fiction. 14-18)
