BFF
A Story About Bullycide
by Lindsey G. P. Bell
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Pub Date Jul 07 2020 | Archive Date Jan 31 2022
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Description
Thirteen-year-old Abby and her father have just moved from a leaky old sailboat to an inherited mansion in South Carolina, and Abby does not fit in. This is the story of the summer adventures she shares with new best friend, Hollis, and two boys from their class rescuing an injured heron. But when school begins, Abby is shocked to learn that Hollis is a bullied outcast...who, pushed to the limit, takes her own life--a phenomenon known as bullycide. BFF attempts to portray that being bullied doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you, that suicide is NOT the answer, and that if you're struggling, tell as many people as necessary until you get help.
Advance Praise
BookLife said:
Bell examines the heart-breaking consequences of bullying in her moving YA debut. Financial straits force Abby Feldman and her father to make an unwelcome move from San Francisco to the small town of Kissimah, S.C. A chance meeting leads Abby to meet Hollis Wickwire, whose dog promptly drags them into a muddy pond, and they form a delightful friendship full of adventures. However, the start of school brings new shocks as Abby discovers tyrannical bully, Lexie Cross, rules seventh grade and that Hollis is Lexie’s favorite victim.
Bell draws on personal experiences to weave a revealing narrative on bullying and “bullycide” (when a person commits suicide because of bullying) into an otherwise nostalgic teen story. Lexie’s savagery shatters the idyllic sense of the initial chapters. When Lexie starts terrorizing Abby (including over Abby being Jewish) and Hollis with a wide variety of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse, she sets them off on a downhill ride to a sad conclusion. Bell skillfully portrays the psychological effect of Lexie’s bullying on the rest of their class as well. It’s particularly thought-provoking and saddening to see the failure of parents and school authorities to address Lexie’s behavior in a meaningful way.
Hollis and Abby are memorable, likable characters, and their attempts to capture an injured heron while evading alligators and bugs result in an endearing friendship. Bell’s crisp descriptions of fictional Kissimah give a clear sense of the teeming wildlife, and the townspeople vividly showcase the cultural nuances and complexities of the South in the 1980s. The framing of Abby’s adult recollections and the lively prose and pacing make the story immersive. The memorable characters and the questions raised in Bell’s heart-wrenching debut will stay with readers long after the final page is turned.
Takeaway: Both adult and teen readers will be moved by this poignant story and find it a valuable resource in discussing and countering bullying.
Great for fans of Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places, Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: -
Editing: A+
Marketing copy: A+
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781733874823 |
| PRICE | $3.99 (USD) |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Karen B, Educator
BFF is the kind of story that you read and weep over. The idea that children can be so cruel seems hard to believe if you’ve never experienced bullying, but it always amazes me how some people seem to know exactly which words will cause the most upset. That we can still have situations where children are made to feel so low by their peers that they commit suicide, shows that it’s painfully clear something is very very wrong.
The story begins with Abby moving from California to live in the home her mother grew up in. Though her mother left years earlier, and has since died, Abby knows that her father couldn’t afford to turn down the opportunity to live in a home that is paid for.
Their arrival at their new home immediately emphasises their sense of isolation and discomfort at their new environment. But Abby makes the acquaintance of Hollis on that first day and the girls quickly become friends. Hollis is inventive, caring, thoughtful and incredibly mature. But she is seen as weird by her peers, and as the summer draws to a close and the girls prepare to return to school, it becomes clear that things are going to change.
Abby and Hollis try to weather the storm. They acknowledge their friendship and try their hardest to seek help. Sadly, to no avail. When Hollis’s mum bans her daughter from seeing Abby, the bullying becomes more vicious. Abby tries to seek help. Those involved seem to suffer no consequences. Eventually, things reach a deeply tragic end.
This book spent so much time showing how wonderful Hollis was, and how she touched the lives of those she met, that it seemed all the more brutal to have her life snuffed out so quickly. It made me angry. It made me sad. It made me want to ensure nobody is made to feel so worthless. I can only hope that this book gets in the hands of the right people.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this in advance of publication in exchange for my honest review.
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