Tease

by Amanda Maciel

[Leah]

When I spotted Tease by Amanda Maciel on Edelweiss, I thought it sounded really, really interesting. The synopsis grabbed me immediately, and I loved the striking cover with the word Tease dominating and I knew I had to read this book! Young Adult is such an interesting genre, one I’m reading more and more every week, every month, and I keep discovering some fantastic new authors, and Amanda has very much joined that list because Tease is one of the most unforgettable books I will ever read. I say that with no doubt in my mind, and I think that everyone who reads it will feel the same way – whether you love or loathe this book, make no mistake, you won’t forget it in a hurry.

Kids committing suicide after being bullied is something that’s more and more prevalent in our society. It’s a hot topic, and Tease delves right into the heart of that topic, right from the off. Because everyone believes that the reasons Emma Putnam is dead is because of Sara Wharton and her BFF Brielle. The novel opens with a bang, with Sara at her lawyers office discussing what happened with Emma and why, perhaps, Sara and her friends are part of the reason Emma killed herself. It’s shocking, I’ll say that, but it had me hooked instantly. The novel then flashes back in time and we unravel exactly what happened in the lead up to Emma’s death, whilst also maintaining a foothold in the present, as Sara’s trial comes closer and closer. It was written so captivatingly. I could barely put the book down and spent a happy day devouring it.

What Tease did best was it asked a lot of questions of myself – it really made me think. Because we were essentially reading a book about a bully, a group of bullies, which was so bad a girl killed herself. But there’s one quote that stands out for me, “Emma’s life is over because of Emma,” I say. “I didn’t kill her, Brielle didn’t kill her and the guys didn’t kill her.” That. That is the reason I spent the novel so conflicted because it’s true. Sara didn’t tie the rope around Emma’s neck and let her hang, but I will confess that they didn’t help matters. I don’t really know where I stand on blaming bullies for kids deaths. It’s awful all around, let’s be honest, and Tease allowed that insight into Sara’s life. It wasn’t all roses and happiness, and Emma did do a lot of things to anger Sara, not that I’m justifying bullying. But there’s definitely more than one side and this is a novel that will have you thinking and doubting and wondering “what if…”

I was very much spellbound by the book, which makes me feel bad – how can I love a book about such a horrific experience? How can I feel compassion for what Sara goes through when she very much failed to show that herself? I truly didn’t think Sara was as bad as made out to be – she was to Emma, absolutely, but apart from that, at home, she wasn’t so bad and I do think peer pressure had a lot to do with it. Her BFF Brielle was very much the driving force, and we all know how tough it is when we come up against someone like a Brielle. Tease is a fascinating read, one that left me questioning myself and one that will stay with me long after reading. It’s a book that packs a punch and it packs it well, with questionable characters, a brilliant fast pace and a really interesting narrator. I loved it.