Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Double Review: Bullied & Revenge by Christopher Smith


Publisher: Trident Media
Version: Kindle
Genre: YA Paranormal, Thriller
Source: Author
ASIN: B004W8E9BW


"BULLIED" is the first novella in THE BULLIED SERIES, which focuses on Seth Moore, a relentlessly bullied 17-year-old boy who is gifted an amulet that ignites within him telekinetic powers.

If Seth uses the amulet properly, it will protect him from those determined to crush him. But after so many years of being beaten down and humiliated by the school's popular crowd and the teachers who protect them, the question is whether Seth can keep away from the dark side the amulet offers--and not become a bully himself, even when all hell breaks loose.

BULLIED is an intense thriller that will speak volumes to anyone who has ever been bullied and wished they had a powerful way out. It's also a cautionary tale on the act of bullying itself.

When Christopher first asked me to read his novella series, I was hesitant.  I hadn't heard of many book reviewers accepting author requests.  But, I figured being a new book blogger meant that I couldn't be picky.  I have to say that I was really lucky with what Christopher threw my way.

Bullied will keep your heart pounding with every turn of the page.  You are introduced to Seth, a kid who has been bullied his entire life for reasons he never had control of.  With every punch or mocking word, you real in disgust at the torment he goes through.  But, he is given a chance to redeem his last year of school. With a magical token from his uncle, Seth has the opportunity to take revenge and turn the tables. It's not every day that a victim of bullying gets that chance.

I LOVE SETH. Can I make that any more clear? Who hasn't had their days of being bullied? Who doesn't have a tale to tell? I recall being slammed into a locker my freshman year. I will never forget the tears of rage that burned my eyes or a fury that was unleashed in my veins. Thankfully I let that taunting go only one more day before I stood up to her and put an end to it. Not everyone has the courage to take that stand or the opportunity. Having that knowledge of my own past, it was not difficult to attach myself to this character.

In an interesting twist, I can put myself on the other side of bullying as a teacher. No, I have never let a bully get away with anything in my classroom, but I have seen teachers do so. It is sick, demeaning and an injustice. It is easier to stop in elementary school, though. High school is a whole other world of bullying. Smith outlines the true horrors and gets the reader wanting to take a stand right then.

I was glad that once I finished reading Bullied, Smith had just completed book two, Revenge. The second novella in the trilogy follows Seth's journey of payback. One bully at a time, he works his path to revenge. With some humor laced into the story, the reader has a chance to breath every once in a while. Smith keeps the pace quick, forcing the reader to turn the pages fast as they want to keep up.

Coming soon is the final release in the saga, Witch. As always, The Book Heroine will keep you posted!

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