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viviennemorgain's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent book on (cyber)bullying. It should be translated into as many languages as possible. It'll make you cry. It is a very cruel read, so be prepared!
If you loved (any of) the following books, it's a must read for you.
Leaving Paradise
Leverage
Pushing the Limits
Easy
You
Magic City
If you loved (any of) the following books, it's a must read for you.
Leaving Paradise
Leverage
Pushing the Limits
Easy
You
Magic City
jehosophat's review against another edition
5.0
Every teen should read this book and every parent and teacher.
kristid's review against another edition
3.0
I wasn’t sure how much I was going to like this novel, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Daniel is starting his first day of school as a senior at a new school. His plan is to lay low, graduate and keep his secret. That doesn’t exactly work out so well, when he breaks up a fight on the first day and ends up making an enemy right away. But he also catches the attention of Julie.
At first Daniel tried to deny his feelings for her. He knows that he can’t keep up the lie. He did something horrible, so horrible his family had to move, and he had to change his name.
I wasn’t sure if I could like Daniel, but I did. It’s hard as a young person, nah scratch that. It’s hard as a person to recognize how words can hurt someone. For Daniel it went beyond words and turned to action, but the damage had been done. In Send we are able to witness as a reader how bullying effects not only the victim and their family, but the bully and their family too.
I wasn’t really a fan of Kenny at first. He was more annoying than anything. I think for me in the end, Kenny represented the problems and Daniel had, and they went way beyond issues of guilt. In addition to Daniel, I really enjoyed the character of Julie and her perspective.
The story centered around bullying and suicide, but the author was able to treat the issues delicately and make an impact with the reader. I didn’t feel like I was being preached too, but it opened my eyes. It sort of reminded me of Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes. The story wasn’t as complex, by any means. But the feelings I had when reading them both were quite similar. Very thought provoking.
I wasn’t a big fan of the ending, but at least some of the characters got some resolution.
Daniel is starting his first day of school as a senior at a new school. His plan is to lay low, graduate and keep his secret. That doesn’t exactly work out so well, when he breaks up a fight on the first day and ends up making an enemy right away. But he also catches the attention of Julie.
At first Daniel tried to deny his feelings for her. He knows that he can’t keep up the lie. He did something horrible, so horrible his family had to move, and he had to change his name.
I wasn’t sure if I could like Daniel, but I did. It’s hard as a young person, nah scratch that. It’s hard as a person to recognize how words can hurt someone. For Daniel it went beyond words and turned to action, but the damage had been done. In Send we are able to witness as a reader how bullying effects not only the victim and their family, but the bully and their family too.
I wasn’t really a fan of Kenny at first. He was more annoying than anything. I think for me in the end, Kenny represented the problems and Daniel had, and they went way beyond issues of guilt. In addition to Daniel, I really enjoyed the character of Julie and her perspective.
The story centered around bullying and suicide, but the author was able to treat the issues delicately and make an impact with the reader. I didn’t feel like I was being preached too, but it opened my eyes. It sort of reminded me of Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes. The story wasn’t as complex, by any means. But the feelings I had when reading them both were quite similar. Very thought provoking.
I wasn’t a big fan of the ending, but at least some of the characters got some resolution.
amandalikestoread13's review against another edition
3.0
Fairly quick read. Slightly predictable plot and outcome, but the characters are engaging and pulled at my emotions enough to make me want to find out what happens to them. A good reminder for YA readers about how their actions have consequences.
bluebeereads's review against another edition
5.0
Istyria book blog ~ B's world of enchanted books
So after reading Some Boys yesterday, I knew I had to read another book by this woman. She totally surprised me, came out of nowhere. So I looked her up on Goodreads and found this book. It was in the blurb of Some Boys too, so I decided to get me a copy and read that one. Just to see if it was as fantastic as Some Boys was. Well... Patty Blount just fried my brain and got herself a spot on my auto-buy list.
Send is about Dan. When he was fourteen, he made one of the biggest mistakes in his life. He was sent to juvie for almost a year and since then he's paid a high price for that one stupid mistake. Now it's a bit better. He and his family moved and changed their names. Now he can start again in a place where nobody knows him or what he did. But his first day at his new school doesn't start out as he planned. He breaks up a fight while everyones else just doesn't do anything. And now he's in the spotlight again. While he's trying hard to keep his past a secret, there is one girl who looks at him like she knows all of his secrets. Like that he knows what it's like to be bullied because he used to be one...
Bullying is a very hard topic for me. Not for the same reason as it is for Dan, the main character in this book. No, I used to be on the receiving end of it. So it's hard for me to read a book that centers around that. I honestly thought I wouldn't be able to finish it and I thought I'd hate Dan. But I finished it and I loved Dan. Still do. He was such a deep character. There were so many layers to him and I couldn't help feeling bad for him. Yeah, what he did was stupid. But it wasn't worth the price he paid. I won't say anything about that because it would ruin the book a bit if you knew beforehand. Dan's past gets revealed little by little and when he finally told the whole story, it destroyed me. I was a sobbing, crying mess and I thanked the gods I wasn't reading this book in public.
Patty seems to be one of those authors that isn't afraid to write about these kind of topics. Some Boys deals with rape and Send deals with suicide and both of them deal with bullying in different ways. Yeah, they're hard to read about. Really hard. It messes you up. But to be honest, we need more books about this kind of stuff. Hard, honest books that don't shy away from the truth because the things Patty write about could just as easily be true stories. It's terrifying to think about, but it's the truth. And I admire her for that. Not only her, there are other authors that do that. Like Katie McGarry, Colleen Hoover, Jessica Verdi,... All authors I love and admire for that. They write stories that need to be read by everyone. And even though I'm a mess afterwards and it fries my brain, I'll read every single one of their books without hesitation.
For those of you who don't know this, here's the missing epilogue of Send, which made me cry again. I did like the open ending in the book, but I loved finding out what happened after that. I really needed that closure. Oh, before I forget! So Dan talks to himself and he calls the voice in his head Kenny. Kenny even has his own room in Dan's head. It seems weird, right? But it was so right for this story! And it was funny too sometimes, which made the book feel a bit less heavy. And as strange as it sounds, I did grew to love Kenny as a separate character.
Send is a hard, honest and emotional book that messed me up so much I didn't know what was what for a few minutes after finishing it. It's a book that confirmed my love for Patty Blount, who now has a place on my auto-buy list. I recommend it to everyone!
{My review for Some Boys will be up on my blog on August 1st, if you can't wait until then to read it, you can read it on Goodreads already! Just go here.}
jcrawford728's review against another edition
4.0
Loved it but having trouble digesting the end. Great book for teens.
alifromkc1907's review against another edition
5.0
Read more at http://rainbowreviews.wix.com/reading free or on Instagram @RainbowReviewsKC
Story Line - 5
Writing Style - 5
Characters - 4
Excitement Factor -4
Believability for type and topics - 5
Similarity to other books - 5 (unique)
Cover art - 5
Dust Jacket Art - N/A
Title Relevance - 5
When Daniel starts over (again), he fights the closeness he feels to Brandon and Julie - and the anger he feels towards Jeff. But, will he be able to fight his own demons longer than he'll be able to fight Brandon's friendships and Julie's attraction?
You may like this book if you like the following sub-genres:
Cyber Bullying
Prison
Youth Violence
Admittedly, when I started this book, I was sent back to the ABC Family movie, Cyberbully. But it also reminded me why justice isn't always accurately served. The story line on this book was really well done. Not only are we faced with Daniel's attempt to start fresh, but how he becomes Daniel is equally as important as coping with who he used to be. The story itself is intriguing enough, even if you weren't bullied, or if you weren't the bully (and let's face it, one of us have been one or both in more than one situation-even if we weren't entirely aware of it), you can still feel something for one or more of the characters. If I were a junior-high/high-school english teacher, this would definitely be a required reading for my students - and I think I would've liked to do the cross-the-line activity (more information here). I have done this several times over the years, and every time I felt more connected to the other students in my classroom, whether it was junior high or college. I think this paired with that activity are a simple way to show that Mr. Popular/Mr. Varsity might have more in common with the kid who lives in a homeless shelter (yes, this happened in one of my activities). This book reminded me of how important that activity is - even if you explore those statements with friends and family in isolated incidents, I think this book reminds you that it's okay to be different, but it's not okay to degrade someone for being different. (Yes, we still need this reminder in 2016. Kids are evil. All of them.)
Speaking of the characters, I was slightly annoyed with the parallels between Julie and Brandon. When they were both up, they were both up. When they were both down, they were both down. It became more annoying as the novel grew on. I found it difficult to connect to Julie because her character was hot and cold every chapter - and it's hard to connect to someone when you're just trying to figure out which version you're dealing with (and I thought Daniel dealt with this about as well as any teenage boy with a troubled past, trust issues, and an emotional hard on for a cute girl, which is probably why I didn't find him to be as annoying as I found Julie to be). Brandon, too, was hot and then cold. But I think with Brandon, it felt okay. I would've preferred that he and Julie weren't in the same mood at the same time, but - at least his behavior felt realistic, or acceptable; I'm not really sure. (I can't give away details about why it's okay for Brandon, but not okay for Julie, but I think it'll become clear a few chapters in.) And while this is minute, I was slightly frustrated with the lack of Dr. P. I felt as if that should've been a huge component to this novel - and maybe Blount didn't want to over extend her novel's story line, but I think I could've dealt with a little less Julie/Brandon-drama and a little more Dr. P feedback; after all, she should've been a much larger part to this "Daniel," and how to cope with his past. The character issues/strengths were probably the biggest let down for me. I thought Daniel was done really well, and I liked seeing Kenny's presence, as well. It was a unique way to see Daniel as Daniel, and Daniel combating his past in a realistic scenario.
The writing style paired with the uniqueness of this book worked well with one another. I never felt as if I was being forced into someone else's point of view - which for the sake of Daniel, was a nice touch. I didn't "care" what Julie or Brandon were feeling because Daniel felt it, which means we, too, as an audience felt it. I'm sure if this book had alternate perspectives from other characters, I might have disliked it or found it annoying (just by way of pet peeve). The story wasn't exciting the entire way through, but I think it was a really steady flow of exciting moments met with the typical mundane moments of high school. I'm glad that we were only looking at a year's worth of time, because any more and I might have been too annoyed with Julie and Brandon's parallel state of emotions to keep reading. I thought it was energetic when it needed to be and down-in-the-dumps when it needed to be. The book was only dull in brief moments when it got repetitive (again, this is a Julie issue for me... because we watched her go from hot-to-cold about once every 10 pages - and that's once-every-10-pages too many for my taste). Overall, the story propelled itself by our own personal investment in Daniel's well-being and his ability to cope and share his past on his own terms.
The title is appropriate. And not just because it is the core reason for Daniel's awakening - but because the book ends (abruptly, which wasn't nice, by the way... I looked down, turned the page, but there was nothing more than discussion questions) in a way that "Send" ties everything in Daniel's life full-circle - and I won't divulge anything, but it should make sense when you see the way "send" applies to his story. The cover was well done. It was a blurred vision of Julie and (I'm assuming) Daniel. I'm glad I wasn't looking at some trashy romance novel cover, and I think the blurred-effect was a nice component to the haze that Daniel, Julie, and Brandon are living in - and the secondary characters could probably be grouped into that, too, but I'll let you decide if you feel the blurred-effect works for them, too.
Story Line - 5
Writing Style - 5
Characters - 4
Excitement Factor -4
Believability for type and topics - 5
Similarity to other books - 5 (unique)
Cover art - 5
Dust Jacket Art - N/A
Title Relevance - 5
When Daniel starts over (again), he fights the closeness he feels to Brandon and Julie - and the anger he feels towards Jeff. But, will he be able to fight his own demons longer than he'll be able to fight Brandon's friendships and Julie's attraction?
You may like this book if you like the following sub-genres:
Cyber Bullying
Prison
Youth Violence
Admittedly, when I started this book, I was sent back to the ABC Family movie, Cyberbully. But it also reminded me why justice isn't always accurately served. The story line on this book was really well done. Not only are we faced with Daniel's attempt to start fresh, but how he becomes Daniel is equally as important as coping with who he used to be. The story itself is intriguing enough, even if you weren't bullied, or if you weren't the bully (and let's face it, one of us have been one or both in more than one situation-even if we weren't entirely aware of it), you can still feel something for one or more of the characters. If I were a junior-high/high-school english teacher, this would definitely be a required reading for my students - and I think I would've liked to do the cross-the-line activity (more information here). I have done this several times over the years, and every time I felt more connected to the other students in my classroom, whether it was junior high or college. I think this paired with that activity are a simple way to show that Mr. Popular/Mr. Varsity might have more in common with the kid who lives in a homeless shelter (yes, this happened in one of my activities). This book reminded me of how important that activity is - even if you explore those statements with friends and family in isolated incidents, I think this book reminds you that it's okay to be different, but it's not okay to degrade someone for being different. (Yes, we still need this reminder in 2016. Kids are evil. All of them.)
Speaking of the characters, I was slightly annoyed with the parallels between Julie and Brandon. When they were both up, they were both up. When they were both down, they were both down. It became more annoying as the novel grew on. I found it difficult to connect to Julie because her character was hot and cold every chapter - and it's hard to connect to someone when you're just trying to figure out which version you're dealing with (and I thought Daniel dealt with this about as well as any teenage boy with a troubled past, trust issues, and an emotional hard on for a cute girl, which is probably why I didn't find him to be as annoying as I found Julie to be). Brandon, too, was hot and then cold. But I think with Brandon, it felt okay. I would've preferred that he and Julie weren't in the same mood at the same time, but - at least his behavior felt realistic, or acceptable; I'm not really sure. (I can't give away details about why it's okay for Brandon, but not okay for Julie, but I think it'll become clear a few chapters in.) And while this is minute, I was slightly frustrated with the lack of Dr. P. I felt as if that should've been a huge component to this novel - and maybe Blount didn't want to over extend her novel's story line, but I think I could've dealt with a little less Julie/Brandon-drama and a little more Dr. P feedback; after all, she should've been a much larger part to this "Daniel," and how to cope with his past. The character issues/strengths were probably the biggest let down for me. I thought Daniel was done really well, and I liked seeing Kenny's presence, as well. It was a unique way to see Daniel as Daniel, and Daniel combating his past in a realistic scenario.
The writing style paired with the uniqueness of this book worked well with one another. I never felt as if I was being forced into someone else's point of view - which for the sake of Daniel, was a nice touch. I didn't "care" what Julie or Brandon were feeling because Daniel felt it, which means we, too, as an audience felt it. I'm sure if this book had alternate perspectives from other characters, I might have disliked it or found it annoying (just by way of pet peeve). The story wasn't exciting the entire way through, but I think it was a really steady flow of exciting moments met with the typical mundane moments of high school. I'm glad that we were only looking at a year's worth of time, because any more and I might have been too annoyed with Julie and Brandon's parallel state of emotions to keep reading. I thought it was energetic when it needed to be and down-in-the-dumps when it needed to be. The book was only dull in brief moments when it got repetitive (again, this is a Julie issue for me... because we watched her go from hot-to-cold about once every 10 pages - and that's once-every-10-pages too many for my taste). Overall, the story propelled itself by our own personal investment in Daniel's well-being and his ability to cope and share his past on his own terms.
The title is appropriate. And not just because it is the core reason for Daniel's awakening - but because the book ends (abruptly, which wasn't nice, by the way... I looked down, turned the page, but there was nothing more than discussion questions) in a way that "Send" ties everything in Daniel's life full-circle - and I won't divulge anything, but it should make sense when you see the way "send" applies to his story. The cover was well done. It was a blurred vision of Julie and (I'm assuming) Daniel. I'm glad I wasn't looking at some trashy romance novel cover, and I think the blurred-effect was a nice component to the haze that Daniel, Julie, and Brandon are living in - and the secondary characters could probably be grouped into that, too, but I'll let you decide if you feel the blurred-effect works for them, too.
sc104906's review against another edition
4.0
Dan has been fighting his bullying demons since he was thirteen. After his actions set off the events that led to suicide of his victim. Dan spent 9 months in a juvenile detention facility and moved several times. He has decided that this will be the last time. Dan has decided to stay under the radar and get through school, but problems from his past continue to haunt him.
This was an interesting perspective on the ripple effect that bullying can cause. It holds bullies and bystanders accountable.
This was an interesting perspective on the ripple effect that bullying can cause. It holds bullies and bystanders accountable.
cupcakegirly's review against another edition
3.0
3.75 Stars
Raw, emotional, realistic read.
This book deals with some important topics and has left me emotionally drained but it's well worth the read. Dan's experience is a heartbreaking one for everyone involved and while I'm all for crime and punishment, the punishment is null and void when it doesn't fit the crime.
This is one of those stories that shows what can happen when we make stupid mistakes but it's also one of forgiveness, mercy and redemption.
I have to say that I wasn't happy with the way this ended. After being drug through an emotional pit of hades and back, I felt like Dan (and the reader) deserved more closure.
Raw, emotional, realistic read.
This book deals with some important topics and has left me emotionally drained but it's well worth the read. Dan's experience is a heartbreaking one for everyone involved and while I'm all for crime and punishment, the punishment is null and void when it doesn't fit the crime.
This is one of those stories that shows what can happen when we make stupid mistakes but it's also one of forgiveness, mercy and redemption.
I have to say that I wasn't happy with the way this ended. After being drug through an emotional pit of hades and back, I felt like Dan (and the reader) deserved more closure.