#ATBR2019 Review: Love, Heather by Laurie Petrou @crookedlanebks @jessmapreviews
Love, Heather
by Laurie Petrou
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publish Date: October 8, 2019
Kindle Edition
Standalone
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
What you see isn't always what you get.
Stevie never meant for things to go this far. When she and Dee--defiant, bold, indestructible Dee--started all this, there was a purpose to their acts of vengeance: to put the bullies of Woepine High School back in their place. And three months ago, Stevie believed they deserved it. Once her best friend turned on her, the rest of the school followed. Stevie was alone and unprotected with a target on her back. Online, it was worse.
It was Dee's idea to get them all back with a few clever pranks, signing each act Love, Heather--an homage to her favorite 80's revenge flick. Despite herself, Stevie can't help getting caught up in the payback, reveling in every minute of suffering. And for a while, it works: it seems the meek have inherited the school.
But when anonymous students begin joining in, punishing perceived slights with increasingly violent ferocity, the line between villain and vigilante begins to blur. As friends turn on each other and the administration scrambles to regain control, it becomes clear: whatever Dee and Stevie started has gained a mind--and teeth--of its own. And when it finally swallows them whole, one will reemerge changed, with a plan for one final, terrifying act of revenge.
My Review:
Well, I wasn't expecting THAT! This starts out like your usual YA book where the friends start getting mean and ostracizing one of their own. But the repercussions from this is where this read takes a darker turn and you realize this book is so much more than you thought it would be.
Taking from the Heathers and Veronicas (CORN NUTS!) view of revenge against the popular, we see how one remark, one rumor, one little shove can snowball into the retaliation of those who have been pushed to the point of no return. The sheep mentality where, especially at this age, it's hard to find your own path or stand up properly for what you believe in. What I love though, is that it also showcases that even the bullies have their issues - there's usually a reason why someone is the way that they are.
I am so grateful that I didn't grow up in the digital world. At least when I had a rough day at school, I could leave it at school when I got home and had a bit of a reprieve. These days, you can't escape it and I fear for our youth. Kids can be mean, but put them behind a screen and WOW.
There was a certain point in the book where there was a bit of a revelation about Stevie, and while I understood where this came from and why, I also groaned a bit internally as it reminded me so much of a movie I had seen once... I think you'll know what I mean if you've read this yet but I won't spoil anything here.
Overall, this is a bit of a harrowing but timely read. The author really gives us the full emotional gauntlet through Stevie and everything she's going through at home, at school and internally.
★★★☆
Taking from the Heathers and Veronicas (CORN NUTS!) view of revenge against the popular, we see how one remark, one rumor, one little shove can snowball into the retaliation of those who have been pushed to the point of no return. The sheep mentality where, especially at this age, it's hard to find your own path or stand up properly for what you believe in. What I love though, is that it also showcases that even the bullies have their issues - there's usually a reason why someone is the way that they are.
I am so grateful that I didn't grow up in the digital world. At least when I had a rough day at school, I could leave it at school when I got home and had a bit of a reprieve. These days, you can't escape it and I fear for our youth. Kids can be mean, but put them behind a screen and WOW.
There was a certain point in the book where there was a bit of a revelation about Stevie, and while I understood where this came from and why, I also groaned a bit internally as it reminded me so much of a movie I had seen once... I think you'll know what I mean if you've read this yet but I won't spoil anything here.
Overall, this is a bit of a harrowing but timely read. The author really gives us the full emotional gauntlet through Stevie and everything she's going through at home, at school and internally.
★★★☆
Jessica's Review:
If you're looking for a quick YA suspense read, then LOVE, HEATHER is the book you need to pick up. Bullying is ever prevalent in our society today, and something where kids can be absolutely relentless. What happens when those bullied get pushed too far?
I graduated high school just before social media really took off, and I can't believe some of the things I see lately. It's eye-opening how brazen some people get when they're behind an anonymous profile. Well, this book is about Stevie and Dee, two girls that are sick of the bullying and they want revenge. Pranks snowball into something much worse.
This was a harrowing and really quick read. Something you can finish in a sitting. Petrou puts this story together in a way that keeps you sucked in. We learn about the motivations of each character and we get a better understanding of how these characters tick. I'll definitely continue to pick up more from this author in the future!
3.5 stars
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