BookLife says:

Bell examines the heart-breaking consequences of bullying in her moving YA debut. Financial straits force Abby Feldman and her father to make an unwelcome move from San Francisco to the small town of Kissimah, S.C. A chance meeting leads Abby to meet Hollis Wickwire, whose dog promptly drags them into a muddy pond, and they form a delightful friendship full of adventures. However, the start of school brings new shocks as Abby discovers tyrannical bully, Lexie Cross, rules seventh grade and that Hollis is Lexie's favorite victim.

Bell draws on personal experiences to weave a revealing narrative on bullying and "bullycide" (when a person commits suicide because of bullying) into an otherwise nostalgic teen story. Lexie's savagery shatters the idyllic sense of the initial chapters. When Lexie starts terrorizing Abby (including over Abby being Jewish) and Hollis with a wide variety of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse, she sets them off on a downhill ride to a sad conclusion. Bell skilfully portrays the psychological effect of Lexie's bullying on the rest of their class as well. It's particularly thought-provoking and saddening to see the failure of parents and school authorities to address Lexie's behavior in a meaningful way.

Hollis and Abby are memorable, likable characters, and their attempts to capture an injured heron while evading alligators and bugs result in an endearing friendship. Bell's crisp descriptions of fictional Kissimah give a clear sense of the teeming wildlife, and the townspeople vividly showcase the cultural nuances and complexities of the South in the 1980s. The framing of Abby's adult recollections and the lively prose and pacing make the story immersive. The memorable characters and the questions raised in Bell's heart-wrenching debut will stay with readers long after the final page is turned.

Takeaway: Both adult and teen readers will be moved by this poignant story and find it a valuable resource in discussing and countering bullying.

Great for fans of Jennifer Niven's All the Bright Places, Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: -
Editing: A+
Marketing copy: A+