Bitter End by Janenifer Brown
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (May 10th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 359 pages
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole, a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her, she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate-someone who truly understands her and loves her for who she really is.
At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her best friends, Zack and Bethany, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all of her time with another boy? But as the months pass, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats. As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose"love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose — between her"true love" and herself.
Review: Bitter End is such a realistic portrayal of how a relationship can take a dangerous turn. Alex is smart, caring, and well-liked. She has 2 wonderful best friends, Zack and Beth, who she is super close with. Then she meets a new boy at school. Cole seems wonderful at first. He's athletic, sweet, and seems to care a lot for Alex. It's easy to see why Alex is smitten from the start.
Eventually things get a little more scary. It doesn't start out drastic at first, because no abuse typically does, but the warning bells start to go off. First, Cole isn't fond of Alex spending time with Beth and Zack.well, mostly Zack. He tries to keep them all from hanging out by keeping Alex distracted. Then more things begin to happen and although Alex knows they seem odd, she can't help but believe what Cole tells her.
Cole isn't from a perfect family and Alex can't help but feel for his situation. But slowly she finds out more and more of the truth about Cole. As she becomes more isolated from her friends, Cole has more of a hold on her. That seems to be exactly what he wants and soon Alex doesn't know how to break free.
Jennifer Brown did an amazing job showing how a teen relationship can turn dangerous. I could see why Alex liked Cole from the beginning. He did and said exactly the right things. Alex wanted attention and he gave her all she could ever want. Her friends remained supportive as much as they could. They tried to fight for Alex and show her how much they cared. Both characters were the perfect addition to this plot. Beth was friendly and supportive. Zack was the crazy one in the friendship and his humor and crazy personality was a nice break in the drama.
Bitter End shows how even a girl who is social and outgoing can be sucked into an abusive relationship. It doesn't have to be any certain"type" of girl who can be subject to abuse and the abuse doesn't have to start at day one. Janenifer Brown shows the inside and outside of a relationship gone wrong. It shows exactly how trapped someone can feel.
Bitter End is a heartbreaking story of a young girl just trying to find love, and the boy who tries to take everything away from her. This book can help young girls notice some warning signs that can come up in a relationship. I recommend this book for everyone, parents and teens. Relationship abuse can happen to anyone, at anytime.
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