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Book Summary and Reviews of Tease by Amanda Maciel

Tease by Amanda Maciel

Tease

by Amanda Maciel

  • Critics' Consensus (2):
  • Readers' Rating (2):
  • Published:
  • Apr 2014, 336 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

Emma Putnam is dead, and it's all Sara Wharton's fault. At least, that's what everyone seems to think. Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma's shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who's ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community, and the media. In the summer before her senior year, in between meetings with lawyers and a court-recommended therapist, Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this moment - and ultimately consider her own role in an undeniable tragedy. And she'll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over.

With its powerful narrative, unconventional point of view, and strong anti-bullying theme, this coming-of-age story offers smart, insightful, and nuanced views on high school society, toxic friendships, and family relationships.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"An emotional, deftly paced and heartbreaking first novel. Ages 14-18." - Kirkus

"This nuanced look at a controversial topic will keep readers hooked until its satisfying conclusion and makes great fodder for discussion among high school students." - School Library Journal

"It's to the author's credit that she doesn't make Sara immediately sympathetic, but the end, with Sara moving forward in a way that incorporates what happened rather than denying it, although welcome, feels rushed." - Publishers Weekly

"Horrifying. Satisfying. Remarkable in so many ways. Tease is a brave debut. - Ellen Hopkins, New York Times bestselling author

"Tease masterfully shows that when it comes to bullying, nothing is black and white, no side of the story is the only side of the story, and there are no winners. A compulsive read, and an absolute must-add to all bullying discussions." - Jennifer Brown, author of The Hate List

"Amanda Maciel's timely exploration of bullying pulls no punches. Tease is a bold, hard-hitting and memorable debut that needs to be read and talked about." - Courtney Summers, author of This is Not a Test

"Tease is a book I wish I'd written - shocking, subtle, and emotionally raw." - Katie Cotugno, author of How to Love

This information about Tease was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Claire Williams

Tease
I loved this book so much, oh my God! I couldn't put it down. I normally hate reading but this book is different it is so interesting and intricate. It also teaches adolescents like myself many valuable lessons.

Sydney

sequencing
Honestly, the book confused and lost me at times. There were month titles at the top of the page of each chapter, but after a while you forget who has done what at which point and you don't know what year it is. Sometimes the information was jumbled up like alphabet soup. I'm very much on the reading level as well (post college grade reading level in freshman year.) i just believe it should've started off before she killed herself, adding background, detail, and clarity. Overall, i believe it has a good story and a good purpose, however it could've been more effective with different sequencing. I enjoyed the book for the most part though; the theme and characters were developed and navigable.

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Author Information

Amanda Maciel

Amanda Maciel has worked in book publishing since graduating from Mount Holyoke College and is currently a senior editor at Scholastic. She spends her free time writing, running, or riding the subway with her young son. She lives with him, her husband, and their cat, Ruby, in Brooklyn, New York. Tease is her first novel.

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