Backlash - Softcover

Littman, Sarah Darer

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0545924146 ISBN 13: 9780545924146

Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks, 2016

Synopsis

Lara just got told off on Facebook.
She thought that Christian liked her, that he was finally going to ask her to his school's homecoming dance. It's been a long time since Lara's felt this bad, this depressed. She's worked really hard since starting high school to be happy and make new friends.
Bree used to be BBFs with overweight, depressed Lara in middle school, but constantly listening to Lara's problems got to be too much. Bree's secretly glad that Christian's pointed out Lara's flaws to the world. Lara's not nearly as great as everyone thinks.
After weeks of talking online, Lara thought she knew Christian, so what's with this sudden change? And where does he get off saying horrible things on her wall? Even worse - are they true?
But no one realized just how far Christian's harsh comments would push Lara. Not even Bree.
As online life collides with real life, the truth starts to come together and the backlash is even more devastating than anyone could have imagined.

About this title

About the Author:

Sarah Darer Littman is the critically acclaimed author of Backlash; Want to Go Private?; Life, After; Purge; and Confessions of a Closet Catholic,winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award. When she’s not writing novels, Sarah is an award-winning columnist for the online site CT News Junkie. She teaches creative writing as an adjunct professor in the MFA program at Western Connecticut State University and with Writopia Lab. Sarah lives in Connecticut. You can visit her online at www.sarahdarerlittman.com.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 7 Up—For sophomore Lara Kelly, things are finally looking up—she's feeling more confident after losing weight and she made the varsity cheerleading team, which she never would have imagined two years earlier when she was overweight and severely depressed. Best of all, Lara has caught the attention of a cute guy on Facebook, and he has been hinting at asking her to the homecoming dance. But when she sees horrible comments from her crush on social media, she spirals into a dangerous mental state and suicide seems like the only escape. Bree is Lara's former best friend from middle school, but they drifted apart when Bree couldn't take Lara's depression and self-involvement. The new Lara is suddenly getting everything that Bree is supposed to have—the popularity, and even the spot on the cheer team. Sydney and Liam are the younger siblings, who are caught up in the horror of a tragic event, and trying to figure out how to cope with their siblings' issues while living their own lives. This novel thoughtfully balances the four alternating perspectives, giving an element of humanity even to the perpetrators of severe bullying while maintaining a strong moral judgment. The writing and pace may not be compelling enough for reluctant readers, and there are disturbing scenes portraying bullying and severe depression. However, it's an accessible complement to an anti-bullying curricula that would serve as a good starting point for discussion of ethics with teens. Share with fans of Lane Davis's I Swear (S. & S. 2012).—Tara Kron, School Library Journal

About this edition

• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0545924146
• ISBN 13: 9780545924146
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336