Long and Short Reviews
Whoever said high school was supposed to be the best time of your life clearly doesn’t know just how many things can go wrong during those four long years. This is one of the best books about bullying and betrayal that I’ve ever read. All of the characters had complex reasons for behaving the way that they did. Not only did that make them fascinating to read, it gave satisfying answers for why they behaved the way that they did. Some of the scenes were pretty painful for Jessie, so having such detailed reasons for why certain things happened to her were quite helpful. Speaking of the main character, I absolutely loved her as an individual. I was also a huge fan of the strong character development she showed as a result of her experiences. Her stubborn, feisty personality made itself known from the very first scene, so it was great to see how such a well-rounded character responded to all of the plot twists that were thrown her way. Stef and Jessie’s lifelong friendship was a highlight of the plot as well. I really liked how supportive they were of each other when it came to getting through their final year of high school, making plans for the future, or dealing with the guys they wanted to date. They genuinely cared about each other, and that made me want to see what would happen to them next. Another thing I adored about this story was how thoroughly the main character’s strained relationship with her dad was explored. I quickly became engrossed in figuring out why their relationship had soured and why neither one of them seemed that interested in doing anything to fix it. She clearly had issues with him that had been going on for years, so trying to untangle how things had gone so wrong with them was rewarding. Don’t Tell Jessie is a must-read for teens and adults alike!
