I Swear
Gr 7 Up-This engrossing and timely story begins as Leslie Gatlin makes the decision to end her own life. The rest of the novel is told in alternating points of view by the students who played a part in her decision to commit suicide. This intense snapshot of cyberbullying includes the stereotypical queen bee and her minions, who continually send Leslie messages telling her to kill herself and perpetuate vicious rumors insinuating that she is a slut, has had plastic surgery, and a variety of other hurtful comments. Davis does a passable job of presenting the different voices as the teens' part in Leslie's bullying is unveiled, although she does occasionally include expressions not heard in the halls of a typical high school. He makes up for these small inconsistencies in his characterization of Jake, her one friend, and the fast-paced storytelling that keeps unraveling layers to the mystery surrounding why each person chose to harass Leslie. Without becoming too didactic or unrealistic, the conclusion clearly spells out the message that teenagers should think before they speak or post something. While this offering is not as emotionally powerful as Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why (Penguin, 2007), it certainly deserves its place on library shelves.-Tammy Turner, Centennial High School, Frisco, TXα(c) Copyright 2011.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.