Review: The Boxer Rebellion
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 7, 2013
: I want to start out saying this is some very tough subject matter to write and read.  Kudos to the author for having the gumption to tell this story. This subject is like a bad accident, you know what you see is going to be frightening, hard to take and perhaps life changing but you have to look anyhow. Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. I literally read last night until the kindle said battery was low to charge and saw it was 330 am. I was devastated to not be able to finish.A quick rundown. Nick moves to a new school. He is so happy, he is c going to get to start new no one knowing him here. He has new designer clothes, new gear and the first thing happens he sets off the weapons check with his new boots and a second time with his necklace.  He gets over that then at his locker he hears the voice of his tormentor from the old school and gets beat up, to make it worse he fights back and the teacher sees him not the bully and he gets suspended and labelled trouble maker on the first day. To make matters worse for him, Julian his tormentor from the old school is living with his cousin Brent that has his own demons. Brent finds himself looking to hard at boys, not really finding girls attractive and keeps telling himself he isn't gay. When he sees Julian bullying the new boy he steps in and eggs it on spreading it all over school and most of the school joins in.There are lots of characters in this story, though its mostly about Nick, Penny his one true friend, Julian the bully, Brent the in denial gay boy that bully's to deflect the attention, and Angela the other new girl with a past of her own, that is overweight and trying to start new and gets in with Brent and Julian are all featured and we get into their minds as well as Nicks.Also we get into the thoughts of Nicks parents a couple teachers and the principle.The story is dark and at times sad and tragic. I think we can all relate to each of these characters at one time or the other and the message is clear... we should join in or sit back and do nothing. My heart went out to both Nick and Penny and id loved to have strangled that principle.I highly recommend this to everyone  both teens and adults. It should be a mandatory read in high school both students and teachers. If you like dark tragic stories with great messages this is a must.