Tease by Amanda Maciel

I know this book has been sitting in my "To be read" photo on this blog, and it isn't that I didn't want to read it- it is just that other books kept cropping up first! I do need to say right off that bat, that I think this book is too mature for Intermediate students. But my high school friends (Becky and Karen) - you guys need this book in your library! In many ways, Tease is like Thirteen Reasons Why. A young girl (Emma) has committed suicide and the book is dealing with how it happened. This book is told through the eyes of Sara- she is a classmate of Emma's and is being held accountable for her role in the suicide. Sara and her best friend admit they teased Emma, but they always felt she had it coming. Emma's actions demanded that Sara and her friends call her on it. As the story goes on, Sara really struggles to understand why she is being charged with bullying- she spends a great deal of time blaming Emma and keeping the blame off of herself. This is a great read! Really shows the power of words, and how hurtful they can be. It also shows how easily kids can push something off just by saying 'it's just a joke'. But most importantly, this story deals with how people can fall into behaviours, even when they know they are wrong and how these can have a strong impact on other people. I really would love to have this book in my classroom, but there are too many sexual references in it for my comfort. I think it would make for a great read, and a great literature circle book. This is one that demands to be talked about!