ebook review: rebel bully geek pariah

The Breakfast Club meets Breaking Bad in a high-octane story about four very different teens and the night that will change their lives forever.

The Rebel: Once popular, Andi is now a dreadlocked and tattooed wild child.
The Bully: Sick of being the less favorite son, York bullies everyone, especially his brother.
The Geek: Boston, York's brother, and obsessed with getting into an Ivy League school.
The Pariah: Sam, now that her mom is sober, she just wants to get through one day at a time.

Andi, Sam, York, and Boston find themselves in the woods together when a party gets busted by the cops. Trying to run rather than get caught, they hop into the nearest car they see and take off . . . until they realize the car they've taken has a trunk is full of stolen drugs. Now they must rely on each other or risk their lives. Should they run or turn themselves in? Would anyone even believe the drugs aren't theirs? Every decision could determine the rest of their lives . . . but how can any of them trust people they barely know.

In a cinematic, heart-pounding race against time, four teens learn more about one other in a few hours than they ever knew in all the years they attended school together. And what they find out isn't at all what any of them expected . . .

My Review:

When I picked this book up I expected a cute breakfast club book that would be somewhat entertaining at best.

What I got was a poignant coning of age novel that addressed important topics and kept me engaged the entire time I was reading it.

Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah is definitely an important book for young adults who aren't sure who they are, for kids who have the hard luck to live with someone with addictions, for those whose secrets feel like a cage keeping them from finding real, genuine friends.

This book had me biting my nails, curled up in my chair racing to the next page. The only complaint I really have about this book was the main character. For someone who doesn't cry, the vig reveal about what finally makes the tears flow was...anticlimactic. However, it was redeemed by a separate emotional climax that gripped my heart and made me want to reach through my e-reader to hug the poor girl.

My recommendation: buy the hard copy. Especially if you're a hugger. It's just not the same with a kindle.

I got this book through NetGalley for an honest review.