Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Story (edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones)

Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones have collected author stories, essays and poems with a common theme: bullying. The result is not just this book, but an online project, which you can find on their website Dear Bully and on Facebook. As a statement against bullying this book is a definite winner: respected YA writers (Alyson Noel, Lauren Kate, A.S. King, R.L. Stine, Lauren Oliver…) telling their own stories of being bullied, bullying others themselves, or just letting it happen, shows that bullying was and is a much bigger problem for growing teens than it may look for the adults in their lives.  As such, this book can be a great help for teens who are being bullied, if only as a token that “no, you are not alone” and “yes, it gets better”.

On the other hand, you have to be honest and say that from a literary point of view, this collection of stories is flawed… despite the fact that that wasn’t the first intention of the editors and writers here. Though there is a common theme, the literary quality is only scattered throughout with only a handful of memorable texts (R.L. Stine, Carolyn Mackler, Lauren Oliver, Cecil Castellucci). At its worst, the stories definitely get repetitive, and maybe even too same-ish, which is not something the topic should allow for, but the book does manage to end on a high note: the letter Carolyn Mackler received from a girl after she had read her book The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things (which in itself is one of the greatest girl empowering books!), and Mackler’s reply to this letter.

There is safety and comfort in numbers, is what the overall message here seems to be: we too got through it, and so will you. Here is our statement and support to you. And though this may be true, for the many kids experiencing bullying on a daily basis right now, it’s a bit of a mute argument. But still, there is much to admire here and the fact that so many authors showed their more vulnerable side, either as bully or the one being bullied is the added bonus.

The Future of Us (by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler)

When Jay Asher (who wrote the teen favorite and bestseller Thirteen Reasons Why) and Carolyn Mackler  (who wrote one of the most girl-empowering books ever) decided to collaborate, the cat was excited. Other collaborations between some of her favorite authors have turned out more than great (almost anything that Cohn and Levithan collaborate on has been excellent, and Levithan’s collaboration with John Green churned out the incredibly witty and touching Will Grayson, Will Grayson). Unfortunately, instead of boosting each other’s game, this particular partnership somehow did not bring out the best in both authors, and besides a few nostalgic thoughts about the early days of the Internet that will appeal to 30-somethings, there’s very little lasting material here.

The earth, my butt and other big round things (by Carolyn Mackler)

I love witty titles. And when the story lives up to the title, then this cat is a happy err…bunny. Such is the case with Carolyn Macker’s The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things. As a slightly bulky cat, it’s refreshing to read about a teenage girl, who’s well, let’s just say it…fat and discovers that no one is perfect and that skinny should never be the norm.

Unlike her mother, a psychologist specialized in dealing with adolescent problems,  Virginia Shreves never uses any euphemisms to describe her appearance. Not only that, unlike probably many other overweight teenagers in a world obsessed by scrawny, skeletal models, Virginia is experimenting: with her body (references to self-harm), with her sexuality (the book starts with her blooming relationship with Froggy Welsh the Fourth), with her character as a good girl (dying her hair, getting a piercing, …). It’s what every other adolescent does, of course, but in a world of thin, the fat girl’s desires are taboo. Virginia, for instance, refers to the Fat Girls Code of Conduct, basically a list of rules set out to make the fatties amongst us invisible to the rest of society.

Besides dealing with her own teen hormones, Virginia has to try to come to terms with the idiosyncrasies of her family. Her brother Byron,  who she’d always put on a pedestal, despite the fact he’s never really paid her much respect, is accused of a horrible act at his Columbia dorm house. Her father never made a secret of his preferences for thin women (try feeling good about yourself when your father gushes over the Kate Mosses and Keira Knightleys of the world). Her mother is the Queen of Denial when it comes to the problems within her own household, favoring curing other broken teens.

This book deals with some serious issues (besides the self-harm, there are references to bulimia, and there’s date rape and the consequences for both victim and perpetrator), but it’s never in your face, and Carolyn Mackler never gives you the impression that she’s judging people. Instead we get Virginia who has to face the problems in her teen universe, and who discovers that not every problem can get a solution and that not everything can or should be perfect. Virginia’s journey into self-discovery will give you a boost of confidence. With Virginia you’ll be ready to face the earth, your butt and other big round things!