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SEND by Patty Blount
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Release Date: August 1, 2012
Format: Advance Reader Copy
Source: Publisher
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Buy: Amazon | B&N | Indiebound
It’s been five years since I clicked Send.
Four years since I got out of juvie.
Three months since I changed my name.
Two minutes since I met Julie.
A second to change my life.
All Dan wants for his senior year is to be invisible. This is his last chance at a semi-normal life. Nobody here knows who he is. Or what he’s done. But on his first day at school, instead of turning away like everyone else, Dan breaks up a fight. Because Dan knows what it’s like to be terrorized by a bully—he used to be one.
Now the whole school thinks he’s some kind of hero—except Julie. She looks at him like she knows he has a secret. Like she knows his name isn’t really Daniel… (Goodreads)
SEND tackles the serious issue of bullying and gives insight to how all parties are impacted – the bully, the bullied, and their families. It only takes an instant, one thought-less decision to wreak so many lives. The story is told from Dan’s perspective, a former bully that’s had to suffer the circumstances. The perspective is eye opening, and I appreciated being able to see how life goes on after a horrible incident, from all angles.
Dan moves to a new town for his senior year of high school for a fresh start for himself, and his family. He did something horrible five years beforehand… he had been a bully and served time in juvenile detention. The judge made an example out of him, the story was in the media, and his family was constantly threatened, which forced them to move again and again. They finally decided to change their names in an effort to move on from the past.
Moving on is easier said than done. Dan is full of self-hatred. He must lie to everyone he meets to keep his identity secret, and his family safe. He needs to stay under the radar, but the first day of school he finds himself drawn into a new set of bullying dynamics. He stops a fight from occurring, and protects Brandon, the victim. There he meets Julie, a bystander that witnessed the bullying but didn’t speak up or try to stop it. Though their relationship runs hot and cold, they’re drawn to each other, and I couldn’t help but root for them.
It took me a while to get into this book, and to accept Kenny’s role in the story. Kenny is Dan’s real name, and when he was in Juvie his younger self broke off and become part of his psyche to help him deal. Kenny appears to Dan and they talk to each other. I didn’t feel like I was being preached to, but the story was heavy with bullying and I wished for moments where the characters could come up for air.
SEND is a heart-felt story with an important message that made me think. Is it possible to forgive and forget? Could our judgment system ever truly, rightly, serve punishment to fit a crime, with blanket type laws? SEND is about learning to forgive and love your self again. I feel this would be a great book for teens and parents to read together and discuss.
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Twitter: rocapri
says:
tnx 4 the gr8 review . need 2 pick up my copy
roro @roro is reading recently posted..Old AND New #2
Twitter: fakesteph
says:
Hmmm…. I’ve been seeing this around, but hadn’t really understood the dynamics before… It sounds way more interesting now that I know more about it. Sometimes when books like this gety heavy, reading feels like drowning. I’ll keep an eye out for it, though.
fakesteph recently posted..Top Ten (Tuesday) Series I Haven’t Finished
[…] Blog Tour, Book Trailer, Giveaway, SourceBooks Please help me welcome Patty Blount, author of SEND! She’s here today for an interview as part of her Blog Tour. My […]
Twitter: kimbacaffeinate
says:
Great review, I like that it’s about the bully. I know bullying is a horrible thing, and we are all advocates for the victim, but usually there is an underlying problem that makes kids become bullies and I think we all need to help both sides.
kimbacaffeinate recently posted..The Gift of El Tio by Larry Buchanan and Karen Gans
I remember hearing about this book but I don’t think I really understood what it was about. It sounds like a powerful read but I think I’m concerned with how the Kenny/ Dan’s different ‘selves’ communicate and whatnot. I think its one I will keep on my radar though, it sounds like one teens should consider reading.
Candace recently posted..Confident Reads (9)- Book Tours, What Are They & Do They Sell Books?
Twitter: jeneaw0716
says:
This sounds like it would be an emotional and maybe a frustrating read. I have kids in school and bullying it a scary problem our kids face. Great review. I think I will give this one a try.
Jenea @ Books Live Forever
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