Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge

My rating:

add to my books

Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge

by Jim Schutze

3.81 · rating details · 370 ratings · 44 reviews

Bobby Kent was a bully—a steroid-pumped 20-year-old who dominated his peers in their comfortable, middle-class Ft. Lauderdale beach community through psychological, physical and sexual abuse. But on a summer night in 1993, Bobby was lured to the edge of the Florida everglades with a promise of sex and drugs. . .and was never seen alive again. The tormentor had become the v

...more

Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages

Published February 1st 1998 by Avon (first published 1997)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil by John Berendt

True Crime

81st out of 190 books — 196 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 588)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jun 06, 2011

Emmy rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Despite the strong drug and alcohol use, I loved the book.

Bobby Kent is a 20 year old, steroid using college student who is physically, emotionally, and sexually abusive to his friends, especially to his best friend since 3rd grade, Marty Puccio. Marty came home almost every night limping with cuts and bruises all over his body at the hands of Bobby. It caused his parents great worry over his relationship with Bobby, and no matter how many times Marty begged his parents to move, noth...moreDespite the strong drug and alcohol use, I loved the book.

Bobby Kent is a 20 year old, steroid using college student who is physically, emotionally, and sexually abusive to his friends, especially to his best friend since 3rd grade, Marty Puccio. Marty came home almost every night limping with cuts and bruises all over his body at the hands of Bobby. It caused his parents great worry over his relationship with Bobby, and no matter how many times Marty begged his parents to move, nothing was done about the constant physical and mental abusive Marty suffered from Bobby.

Marty becomes the boyfriend of Lisa Connelly, a lonely, sad, overweight girl who becomes obsessed with Marty and having to be with him almost every second of the day. When Lisa sees the abuse Marty goes through by his "best friend", she convinces Marty that they need to kill him.

Lisa gathers a couple of her friends, Ali, Ali's friend Heather and boyfriend Donny, and Lisa's cousin Derek. Teaming up with Marty and a hired mafia hitman, Derek K., the seven kids lure Bobby into a swamp and beat him and stab him to death.

Three things I had a problem with were; 1). The title. "Bully" would've been just fine. "Bully: The True High School of Revenge" is wrong. Seeing as the seven main characters aged from 17-20 and were all high school drop-outs except Bobby, "Bully" would've been a more better title.

2). The parts about the trial (from the lawyers' perspective) at the end and about 17 pages into the book about a couple guys who girls turned tricks for (can't remember who they were). Those parts were so freaking boring for me. The part about the guys who girls turned tricks for I skipped at first, then went back because I didn't want to miss anything or be confused incase it was important information (in which, I found it not to be). But it was torturous for me to read. Not because of the writing style. Just from the information itself. I like to get straight to the point of the book and in the perspective of the teens who I am more closer to in age. I HATE having to read in the perspective of adults. Period.

3). The way they handled the abuse and bullying of Bobby. Bobby had raped Ali and Lisa. Instead of taking a more easier route to be rid of him by pressing charges and testifying against him for sexual assault, they created a whole new set of problems for themselves and they were the ones who ended up in jail. That really pissed me off. Three are serving life sentences, and the rest are already released.

But of course, from being high all the time, I can see why they didn't think more thoroughly. But also, I can see another reason why they would just murder him, even though it is never a smart idea to do so.

I was bullied my 8th grade year by a senior and a couple of his friends. I, of course, want to put him through the pain he put me through. I won't bother confronting him (physically) ever.

I, in my opinion, think they murdered him for two reasons (from the top of my head): 1). They wanted revenge. 2). They weren't thinking too clearly.

Seeing as I've had a long, exhausting day and its almost 1 in the morning here, my review may be a little foggy, and possibly stupid. But I loved this book and the movie. The writing detail was perfect. The entire story itself was gripping and I couldn't tear my eyes away. And of course, I couldn't stop looking at the pictures before the murder scene.

I would recommend this book. I finished it within a couple days of renting it, and that rarely ever happens because I'm always too lazy to read a lot. This book is the best book in my opinion.(less)

like 2 likes

· see review

Aug 11, 2009

David rated it

From time to time I enjoy a true crime story and I have to admit I read this one rather quickly..

Bully is the story of Buddy and Marty. The two are best friends, but Buddy dominates Marty fiercely. He hits him, teases him, and tortures him. That is, until Marty meets and starts dating Lisa. Lisa, fed up with her man being the target of Buddy's temper and wild mood swings, instigates an evil plot to murder Buddy. Before it is over she enlists seven teens (most of who do not even...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jun 24, 2009

Tracy rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. seriously one of the more disturbing true crime tales i have ever read (and this coming from the girl who reads about the likes of the manson family, elizabeth bathory and h.h. holmes, among others). somehow, this one single murder (and of a guy who arguably kind of had it coming) seems so much more brutal and cold.

i suspect, however, that it wasn't the murder itself that made me shudder and my skin crawl. i think it was the murderers/co-conspirators themselves. they just... didn't g

...moreseriously one of the more disturbing true crime tales i have ever read (and this coming from the girl who reads about the likes of the manson family, elizabeth bathory and h.h. holmes, among others). somehow, this one single murder (and of a guy who arguably kind of had it coming) seems so much more brutal and cold.

i suspect, however, that it wasn't the murder itself that made me shudder and my skin crawl. i think it was the murderers/co-conspirators themselves. they just... didn't get it. they didn't seem to grasp what they had done or what it meant, not in their own lives or to society as a whole. their parents didn't seem to grasp it either. it sounded like all those stories you hear about girls who get date raped, and all anyone seems to care about is that the poor dude doesn't get his life ruined over "something so small." it's just so... sick.

although, admittedly, strangely fascinating. i couldn't put this book down. every single time there was a decision to be made, everyone involved seem to pick exactly the opposite of sanity. sure, bobby was an abusive asshole. while he thought he was breaking poor marty down into a maleable little slave, he was actually chipping off the humanity until he was left with a monster even worse than he was. but lisa... i just don't understand her. i can't even glimpse where she was coming from. i mean, i get the alienation she felt. i get the insecurity of being seemingly the only girl in town not getting her slut on. i've been there, i know what that feels like. but then she finds marty, and it's like it just breaks her brain. she becomes this exotic creature i've never even heard of, who thinks that her abusive ass of a boyfriend is the center of the universe; more important than ANYTHING ever. and that he can be fixed by something as simple as killing his "best" friend.

even more apalling, she tells freaking EVERYONE she knows about her plan. most of them decide to join in. only one guy in the whole bunch even expresses reservations with the "plan," and even those are half-hearted at best. i just... there aren't even words.

and the single most insane thing about this whole sordid ordeal: they totally had even odds at getting away with the whole damn thing if everybody had just not been stupid. and even after they were caught and HAD CONFESSED the whole thing, still they (and their families!?) were shocked (shocked!) that they might actually have to take the rap for MURDERING someone. the insanity just piles up. it's insane to want to kill your boyfriend's best friend. it's insane to tell other people you want to. it's insane that they would agree that that is, of course, the best possible course of action. it's insane that they all actually did it. it's insane they all went around telling everyone around them all about it. it's insane that they didn't expect to get caught. it's insane that they were all surprised when they were found guilty.

so, now i'm renting the movie. because my mind is still just... blown. i mean.... wow.

(less)

· see review

Feb 10, 2008

Susan Kelley rated it

Recommends it for: true crime fanatics

Recommended to Susan by: Yahoo ReadNSwap Group

This is a book about disturbed people - deeply disturbed. The worst part is that this book is a true-crime book. These people really exist, adme they really did the horrible things that the author describes. Seven kids ranging in age from 15-20 brutally murdered a friend of theirs because he was a bully. He was no ordinary bully - he was sick. He forced people to do sexual things, he beats and ridicules people.

Even worse than the amoral behavior of these kids is the way the pa...more

· see review

Aug 13, 2007

Mark R. Rinker rated it

Fast-paced and very detailed, "Bully" is quite an impressive book, a nonfiction novel about some kids between the ages of seventeen and nineteen who decide to kill one of their friends, a nasty son of a bitch named Bobby Kent.

Bobby's been humiliating, beating, and otherwise terrorizing his best friend, Marty Puccio, since they were little kids, and when he starts getting on the wrong side of Marty's girlfriend and some of her friends, the kids decide to kill him.

...more

· see review

Jun 18, 2010

Tenderfoot rated it

Garbage! This should be listed under "fiction" because that is exactly what most of the book is. Sure Bobby Kent was murdered by the kids he bullied and they were caught and are now serving time. However, I doubt very much that that this tragic story went down the way the author described. Don't waist your time. Believe it or not, the movie was way better and I can't stand pederast filmmaker Larry Clark either but it was.

· see review

Sep 04, 2011

Kevin L. rated it

During the initial pages of reading this book, I had determined that I was going to through it out after finishing. It is a disturbing read of a true life disturbing group of young people who had no regard for life, themselves or others. The book did become easier to ingest, but it was truly sad to see in writing what humans are capable of.

P.S. I will be forwarding the book to my sister and then throwing it in the trash. (per her request)

· see review

Aug 04, 2011

Alex rated it

It was a true story about a group of kids who murdered one of their 'friends' and left him to die before being caught the very next day. It was disturbing to say the least, but it was the kind of book I couldn't put down because, even though it was slow at times, I knew it would heat up. By nature, the story is gripping. The writing wasn't fantastic, though.

· see review

Aug 16, 2011

Jen rated it

As my first true crime book, I think I made a pretty awesome choice. I read this book in less than 24 hours. I could not put it down. I've read it about 8 times and I've had 3 or 4 copies of it. It's written really well and easy to follow. Anyone who has interest in true crime should definitely pick this up.

· see review

Jul 29, 2009

Tracy Snyder rated it

This is a great, well-written book about a tragic true story. What a DUMB bunch of kids these happened to be. The whole entire fiasco was like a comedy of errors, which makes it even more unfortunate that someoen lost his life in the process, though the guy was truly a jack-ass.

· see review

Apr 09, 2011

Corey rated it

Shelves: true-crime

When this book was written this wasn't as a big deal as it is today... But having known the brother of a kid that whacked his bully, this book hit home... A must read for parents of a child bullying or being bullied. It will help with the tell-tale signs of what may come...

· see review

Jan 16, 2012

Georgeann rated it

Read this book years ago and still get the chills thinking about it. It's hard to put down and the true crime story it covers is very disturbing. I wouldn't re-read it in a thousand years, but it definitely made an impact on me.

· see review

Jan 01, 2012

Dewayne rated it

Read this book after seeing the movie several years ago. The true story told in the book/movie was unbelievably tragic, but this book was not an interesting read. The writing was awkward, lacking a flow, leaving me frustrated.

· see review

Nov 23, 2009

Nicole Dellomo rated it

Absolutely love this book & the movie. The book is exactly like the movie. The only difference is there's a little more detail in the book, which is expected, but the movie was great & followed the book perfectly.

· see review

Dec 26, 2011

Robf rated it

· review of another edition

great book extremely to the point and grafic seen the movie. they bring a tear to my eye everytime. I know them all personally and 1 of them for a very long time. I wish this never happened...

· see review

Nov 29, 2010

Jojo rated it

Incredibly well written and thoroughly detailed. I could not put this book down. It is one of the most heinous crimes I've read about, and was chillingly cold and calculating. Higly recommended.

· see review

Apr 14, 2008

R to the -izzo rated it

I read this one after I saw the independent movie. Basically it is a true story about kids at a high school that end up beating their friend/bully to death and then leaving him on a Florida beach for crabs to devour. Great flick and great book. I gotta say that you could probably watch the independent and get the majority of the story. The only thing you would miss is the back story for each person (who was on the honor roll and who was on probation) as well as what happens when they finally...more

· see review

Aug 28, 2011

Amanda.w rated it

Really couldn't put the book down. it was very well written. I'm not sure how I feel about the tragic event that happened to Bobby. It breaks my heart, regardless.

· see review

Feb 06, 2010

Stephanie rated it

I really enjoyed this book, it also was made into a movie. It really is scary how young kids can do such terrible things. The victim can often be the culprit. This book will have you thinking long after it's over.

· see review

Aug 17, 2010

Shanna rated it

This book was such an easy read. The fact that it happened and is just so absurd what these kids do make it simple to breeze through. The author's way of describing what goes on and what they may have said fits completely. Way better than the movie. The pictures inside the book also show the damage to the one that was murdered and descriptions. It also includes the mug shots of all the kids involved. Although at the end when it says what they ended up being charged with was inaccurate. The one k...more

· see review

May 31, 2011

Kendal rated it

This is a good book but knowing it was written based on true events is disconcerting.

· see review

Feb 01, 2009

Badmuthagoose rated it

Pretty good. I know the author from his columns for both the Dallas Morning News and the Dallas Observer and he's a fantastic muckraker. Aren't many of those left. He told this story in a compelling way, without falling into the pitfalls of too many details or too much melodrama.

· see review

Jul 11, 2010

Lilo1 Gurule rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Lilo1 by: The movie

Dis book was just crazy it goes 2
show what ppl can do when pushed 2 far!!

· see review

Jul 13, 2009

Roberta rated it

Very interesting story of how cruel high school can be!

· see review

May 04, 2011

Stephen rated it

· review of another edition

You're really going to ponder that one question. Does anyone deserve to die?

· see review

Dec 19, 2009

*•.♥.•*Sabrina*•.♥.•* Rutter rated it

Shelves: true-crime

I read this several years ago.

· see review

Dec 24, 2011

Amber Cable rated it

· review of another edition

sickeningly disturbing

· see review

Jul 13, 2009

Eliza rated it

Shelves: teen

Disturbing to say the least - and WTF is up with the parents?!

· see review

Sep 05, 2010

Andy rated it

Over-the-top tale of adolescent social dynamics, alienation, and, of course, murder. How this tale transpires follows the pattern of many of these sleazy tales of teen group murder: it involves a surreal kind of peer pressure and groupthink, and, naturally, at least a few goofballs who seem to just hitch a ride on the crazy train as it comes by. For an even more extreme take on this genre, try "Cruel Sacrifice" by Aphrodite Jones (yes, that's her name).

· see review

Dec 17, 2009

Noel Wheeler rated it

I love a great true crime story.

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 19 20 next »

Non Fiction

14 users

Mystery > Crime

3 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

Books by Jim Schutze

Preacher's Girl: The Life And Crimes Of Blanche Taylor Moore

By Two and Two: The Scandalous Story of Twin Sisters Accused of a Shocking Crime of Passion

Cauldron of Blood: The Matamoros Cult Killings

The Accommodation: The Politics Of Race In An American City

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About Bully: A True Sto...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge
avg rating	preview: Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge Goodreads rating: 3.81 (370 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://hhce.ed0.biz/book/show/487749.Bully?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175179925m/487749.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://hhce.ed0.biz/book/show/487749.Bully?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge by Jim Schutze[/url]

Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (1)

Genres

Readers Also Enjoyed

Books by Jim Schutze

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Bully: A True Sto...

Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combine Other Editions (1)

Genres

Readers Also Enjoyed

Books by Jim Schutze

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Bully: A True Sto...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (1)