Release Date: April 1st, 2002
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format of Novel: Paperback
Summary (from goodreads.com): For as long as they can remember, Brendan and Gary have been mercilessly teased and harassed by the jocks who rule Middletown High. But not anymore. Stealing a small arsenal of guns from a neighbor, they take their classmates hostage at a school dance. In the panic of this desperate situation, it soon becomes clear that only one thing matters to Brendan and Gary: revenge.
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Ever since I was in the sixth and eight grade, this book was something that took my heart right away out of fear and sympathy for Brendan and Gary. As a person who was bullied throughout middle and high school, Strasser's story touched me. In the story, readers learn about the hardships from the outcasts from the two protagonists. During this time, we learn about the psychological damage it did to the bullying victims and the dangerous outcomes of what could happen if things went too far. You can personally feel the emotional outtake of everything. From the bully victims, to the other students, readers are able to the see the entire plot in a whole entire eye view like as if you were personally there to witness the events unfolding like crazy.
I don't want to spoil this story because of how powerful it is, but I believe this book brings awareness to bullying within younger teenagers. In the recent years, there has been a major increase of school shootings and most of them were due to either a child becoming so tired of being bullied to the point where they snapped or a child that may have a possible mental disorder that causes them to have random thoughts of doing the horrific crimes. Teachers, I beg of you as a reader and a victim of bullying that made it further than the rest, please let your students read this book at a young age and other books related to this one. If children read this book, then perhaps they will become aware of these outcomes and maybe decrease bullying for the children that are victims of it. As a reader, I do want to see more of these type of books in the library, bookstores, and anywhere that is accessible to everyone. Bullying needs to end and these outcomes are only going to get worse if people don't notice the signs right away.
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