Herta Feely

Herta Feely's debut novel brings her readers a contemporary story about cyber bullying I think this is a book that should be read by teenagers and their parents and discussed as a family. It's a real problem in today's social media controlled world and one that needs to come to an end.

Isabel is a modern mother - trying to balance her jobs as a lawyer, the mother to a 14 year old and a 10 year old, and a wife along with being on various committees at her daughter's school. She tries very hard to 'keep all the balls in the air' but frequently questions herself and her decisions. Phoebe, her 14 year old daughter, is starting 9th grade at a private school and after having a bad school year the previous year due to bullying, she and her parents are hoping for the best. Phoebe wants her friends to like her, she wants a boyfriend and to be popular and she goes along with the crowd even when she knows it's wrong. In other words, she is a typical teenager. Despite her best efforts, Phoebe gets bullied again and the results are life altering.

I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I thought that Phoebe was an interesting person and I found myself pulling for her to succeed. I didn't like several of the other characters especially Phoebe's dad. Bullying by the mean girls in school has always been a problem but social media allows it to be taken to a sinister level. Read this book and discuss the message with your teenagers.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book for a fair and honest review.… (altro)