Bully Me - I Dare You: A Horror Novella

by Megan Monroe

Lily dreads each day at school, where she faces constant torment. Bullying leaves deep scars, both visible and hidden, and Lily feels powerless and alone, desperate for an escape. But Lily is no ordinary girl. Lily has a friend. As vicious acts of retribution begin, the line between Lily's dreams and reality blurs. Has she unleashed something unstoppable? Is it her fractured mind bringing these horrors to life? In this haunting horror, no one is safe when bullying pushes Lily too far."Bully Me - I Dare You" is a chilling journey into the depths of vengeance, where revenge has no limits and madness lurks around every corner. Brace yourself for a haunting descent into darkness as you question what separates victim from villain.

Genres: Horror

138 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2023

About the author

Megan Monroe is an author from West Sussex, England. As a child, she enjoyed writing dark, macabre stories during school English lessons.

After turning in one particularly gruesome piece at the age of thirteen, her parents were called into school to check if everything was alright at home.

Megan’s mother would prefer it if she wrote ‘Fantasy or Romance’ and threw the first draft of ‘Bully Me’ out with the trash. Megan rewrote the book in four days (on her chromebook) and added more gore just to spite her. (Megan usually likes to write her 1st draft longhand and owns lots of pens).

She is also the proud owner of a cat who makes the occasional appearance on her Instagram account @meganshorror

Reviews

[LTJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

“Bully Me - I Dare You” by Megan Monroe is an extreme horror novella I was excited to jump into once I got access to it. This is the first book I was ever given an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) for through NetGalley/BookBuzz as the cover and description spoke to me.

Now, before I begin my review, I found a few trigger warnings I wanted to let everyone know about beforehand. They are…

- Bullying
- Self-harm
- Suicide
- Suicidal thoughts
- Rape

If any of these trigger you, please do not read this novella. Moving along, this started pretty interesting and had a very creepy intro I enjoyed. Unfortunately, this went downhill pretty quickly for me as I immediately noticed a lot of issues and ultimately felt misled by this book.

When you have “An Extreme Horror Novella” literally in your book title, that’s a very bold statement to make. Extreme horror is some of the most disturbing, offensive, vile, disgusting, sexual, you name it kind of wild reading material. I’m talking so over the top, you will feel dirty and weird with every flipped page. This “extreme horror novella” is nowhere near that for a myriad of reasons.

There are some violent scenarios here and there but they are very generic and honestly, not all that extreme. These needed to be fleshed out more so I could feel the extremeness in my bones. It needed a lot more gruesome detail to be in the realm of true extreme horror and this completely failed in that regard.

I completely understand this is an ARC but it also needed better editing as I feel this wasn’t even edited at all. I found several typos, extra spaces, and grammar issues that drove me nuts. I know being a professional sports writer and editor enabled me to probably catch these issues every single time they come up but when I read a sentence that says “there’s nothing wrong will being a killer” when it should be “there’s nothing wrong with being a killer”, that’s a huge no-no in my book.

My golden rule is if you’re an author and you’re giving ARCs away, it needs to be perfect before it ever hits the eyes of an ARC reader. Otherwise, it should not be given as ARCs.

For an extreme horror novella that’s barely 141 pages, there is way too much dialogue here and not enough extreme horror. If you’re going to label this as such, you have to bring the heat. Again, extreme horror always implies some very controversial and wild content that is guaranteed to have readers squirm and make weird faces while reading because it’s that insane.

I’m talking “WOOM” by Duncan Ralston. Crazy extreme horror like “Dead Inside” by Chandler Morrison that I had to take a shower after finishing because I felt grimy. You know, extreme horror books that tell you immediately that this is going to scar you beyond your wildest thoughts. “Bully Me - I Dare You” is nowhere near any such extreme level.

This novella is mostly a story about bullying with a slight horror twist of the violent kind. The story doesn’t logically or even scientifically make sense at all when it comes to the plot, characters, dialogue, events, and overall delivery. It was all pretty unrealistic just by the flow of the story and it just didn’t make much sense as I got to the end.

This stems from poorly developed characters and a plot that just never came together. The main protagonist of Lily needed more building up right from the start. Why is she acting this way? What is her backstory? How does one transform as she did without any rhyme or reason? Again, where Lily started and where she ended up, was not fleshed out enough or anything. No plot twists at all and just presented as it is what it is. This needed to be tightened up and explained a whole lot better for it to make sense.

The same goes for other characters as well. Edward, Mira, Detective Blackwood, and all these random bullies had no real character development. This entire story was severely lacking anything that had meaning or purpose. Even the ending was more of the same as I got tired of repeated phrases and situations. Constantly saying “bile rose in my throat” or “bully me, I dare you” three or more times is overkill.

My whole thing is that it is extremely hard to write a successful and effective novella because you only have so many pages to work with that have to be on point. In this case, this was 141 pages and the majority of it was filled with dialogue and fluff. Every single word, page, and chapter needs to be perfect for it to be successful. Even more so if you’re dubbing this as an extreme horror novella and it didn’t even give me anything remotely close to that. This is a very specific and well-established subgenre of horror and is like that for a reason. It was simply not extreme horror in any way, shape, or form and you will see it a mile away once you’re 20% in.

I give “Bully Me - I Dare You” by Megan Monroe a 1/5 for not living up to the title of it being “an extreme horror novella” due to a lackluster story that didn’t bring anything fun, innovative, or crazy to the extreme horror subgenre. It needed a lot more extreme horror, depth, better character development, and proper editing. This wasn’t even that scary, creepy, or disturbing. If you read and enjoy extreme horror, this will be one disappointing novella that you will regret reading. I wouldn’t even classify this at all as an extreme horror novella and would say it’s mostly a bullying story with some violent scenes that have a horror twist to it. Stay away from this one, it’s not worth it. Thank you to NetGalley, the author Megan Monroe, and BookBuzz for providing me with an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) for review consideration. This horror book review reflects my honest, personal opinion.

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, let's have a little confession time with Peter Topside, shall we? I promise that it's all relevant to this review. I was bullied terribly when I was younger. Nonstop, by several people, over many, long, arduous years. And that did a number on my already PTSD-ravaged mind. Teachers refused to do anything, my parents didn't offer much support, and I had no choice but to sit there and take it. And that did a number on me, on top of my already troubled homelife. I had no outlets to properly process any of it, so I spent many years ensuring that I was guaranteed to win any type of fight I was goaded into. I would cut open up my arms and legs, smearing large amounts of blood on myself, walls, clothes...I'd punch cement until my hands were a bloody mess...I'd slap and hit my abdomen and face until I was deeply bruised and doubled over in pain, vomiting and gagging...and do 3-4 hour workout routines daily that would make an elite military veteran wince. And this was every day for many years. Every single day I would end as an exhausted, gory, and painful mess, all from my own doing. But I pushed on, because that was the only way I could control the situations. I funneled it all into these unhealthy habits. And I did it all, not only to guarantee a win for myself fighting anyone, but I even developed a reputation for being a little crazy, and the bullies eventually stopped because they became scared of me. I wanted to hurt them all very badly and I didn't care what the consequences were, and I started to make that known publicly. I was fully prepared to do it with a second's notice and I was eager for it. And I'm not saying this to sound like a tough guy or get any sympathy from anyone. That is what I went though personally and as I look at the large, ugly scars all over myself, feel all the premature aches and pains in my body, and think back to my troubled mindset, I realize just how much none of that should have gone down. It's extremely upsetting. Now I'm bringing it all up because bullying is a truly awful thing that no one should have to experience. Not as a kid, an adult, or any point in our lives. And our lead here, Lily...well my heart went out to her. I understood her mindset, the journey, and the culmination. Megan Monroe tackled a very sensitive subject here, but did so in a very accurate and meaningful way. I wanted to have some more time with Megan, especially when it came to her mother and the detective, but that may just be my personal preference. This was a very extreme and intense story that I really enjoyed. And for anyone being bullied, please don't be afraid to ask for help. Take my advice and don't do what I did. There are resources out there and you don't deserve what is happening to you. It's terrible that troubled people that take pleasure in extreme drama and harassment act out towards you, but you do not have to stand for it. There are consequences for their actions. You deserve to feel safe and unharmed.

[Emily Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

shudder

[Horror Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a gore filled disturbing novella, this is one you definitely want to check out.

Lily is a high school girl and she's being relentlessly bullied by a group of classmates. This isn't just swirlies and name calling, these kids are cruel to another level. They break her down mentally, emotionally, and physically.

When Lily thinks she can't take it any longer, she gets help from her reflection in the mirror. This reflection of Lily is brutal in her revenge and it's not long before bodies start piling up even as Lily herself doesn't want to kill anyone herself.

Filled with disturbing scenes of violence and bloodshed, this novella also delves into the psychological aspects of bullying and the horrific results of seeking retribution.

It will leave you feeling unsettled but it's a fast paced blood soaked story which will leave it's mark. I recommend it.

[Jamie Lee Orr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book makes you truly think of how it feels to be the one being bullied and what might go through their mind.

[The Beloved Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! As a person who was a victim of bullying this was an incredible take on the effects that this type of torment can have on a person, especially a youth. I loved how the author gave you perspectives from all angles, as well as made you care about Lily so passionately. I just wanted to hug her, even kiss her. All she needed was love and someone to help her gain her voice before her break.

There was a paranormal horror element to this but as I continued to read it just felt like a mental break. But I loved them both I guess; Lily and her reflection.

Tremendous story and brilliant premise! 5/5!

[Kirstie Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

According to Amazon this is a YA book aimed at 12-15 year olds - but in my opinion this is a little bit too brutal for a 12 year old.
There are very explicit descriptions of bullying, revenge, torture and rape - I have never read anything so brutal and if my kids were reading this at 12 I don't think I would be very happy 🙈
Anyway, back to the book! This definitely had the shock and wow factor. It was only a novella so didn't take me long to get through it at all.
I did enjoy it, and I really felt for Lily, who was the main character, who got severely bullied.
Great read, but I can imagine a lot of people would find this too much - so just be prepared if you don't like brutal, explicit reads.

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a soft spot for stories of bullying and revenge. In this novella, an innocent girl is the victim of years of bullying. She feels worthless and hopeless, but her mirror self promises to help her find justice. It's fun because it's over-the-top and even gory, even though it doesn't hold together logically. If you enjoy realistic horror, you will probably enjoy this. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily is a senior in high school and every day she gets bullied by Kate and her friends her mom tries to console her but it doesn’t help but talking to her image in the mirror does. Unlike other peoples reflections however Lily‘s talks back even does her best to help Lily. When Lily has a dream about one of her bullyers Jenna and finds out the next day the girl was murdered at her home Lily is the Stalinist when her school classmates start blaming her she doesn’t know what to do but when they start blaming a kindly man who has low intelligence but is nice to everyone things really get interesting. Because it seems Jenna was just the beginning. Usually horror stories do not have a wow ending not in my experience but this one definitely does because when it ended I was like… Wow! I really am not a big fan of books we’re just the one getting bullied gets in trouble but I must say I found the story so compelling and write it all in one setting cannot wait to see what else Miss Monroe has to offer. I really enjoyed this book and want to read more from such an intriguing mind. I definitely recommend this book if you love horror especially very gruesome and very imaginative horror then you’ll love Bully Me… I dare you! by Megan Monroe. I definitely did! I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

[Myrna O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whewwww I was mad mad at everything and everyone in this novel. I was angry at the bullies and the level of their actions. I was angry at the adults that’s did nothing. I was angry at her mother especially. I was angry at her! This was a good read. And it’s infuriating that bullies exist!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that was gruesome, the bullies got what they deserved.

[Mercedes · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a heart wrenching story. This poor girl, Lily, is absolutely tortured by the school bullies.

My biggest complaint about this book was the lack of editing. There are many font issues, duplicate or missing words, etc. I don't know if it was edited. If it was the author needs to find a different editor. The world building is pretty blank too. Maybe it was me, but I couldn't actually see the characters in my head like I was there.

 
Spoilers below.....


Firstly, I've seen bulling when I was in school. What these kids do to Lily; the mud rolling naked, the beatings and the brutality. Clearly the kids doing this were monsters and deserved nothing more than what Lily finally gave them. Here are a couple things that did bother me about the story: why was her Mother not more involved? If she'd just bothered to look at Lily more than once a week she'd seen all the bruises and damage. Where were the teachers at school? These kids would corner Lily and beat her bloody at school and NOBODY noticed, not even other students. I feel the story would've been better if there was some more explanation for the blindness the world showed. I very much enjoyed when Lily finally had enough and started dealing it back with metal bat. I loved how the bullies begged for mercy.

[Felina Pittman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a frightening and gruesome account and chronicle about unchecked bullying and harassment of a female high school student.

Despite the fact that victim reported the transgression to school authorities, the latter did not do anything about it so Lily had to take the matter into her own hands. The consequences of the main character's act of revenge against the perpetrators of bullying and harassment led to a horrendous incident that had a traumatic and disturbing effect on the students involved since it resulted in unnecessary injury, bloodshed and brutal death. Later on, Lily's eventual incarceration became imminent.

The narrative highlights the negative mental and emotional impacts of bullying which includes depression, anxiety, increased feeling of loneliness and sadness and the loss of interest in the activities they used to enjoy. Talking can be a good vent for the fears and frustrations of the affected party. Another remedy would be to have a good support system among true and concerned friends. Parents should encourage their child to report the bullying to the correct people in charge so that proper action could be taken.

[Mc Chanster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn, that was a tough read. Not so much because of the gore, but just the amount of crap Lily had to go through. All through the book, I was angry – angry at the other kids for not doing anything, angry at the bullies, angry at the adults for not paying attention. I wanted to reach into the pages and shake some sense into anybody so they could help Lily. And, can’t lie, I definitely felt some satisfaction when ‘reflection Lily’ got revenge.

This book is a horror, yes, but also a terrifying look at what could happen when the bullied gets pushed too far (I say this because I think of Lily’s ‘reflection’ as dissociative identity disorder). An intense read, but a good read nonetheless! I will be looking for more from this author!

Thank you Voracious Readers and Megan Monroe for my copy! I received an ARC of this novella and am voluntarily leaving a review. All above thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucky Lily

Overall, I quite liked this novella. But I did find a few typos, and editing errors in it. And I'd have liked to have seen more description of the characters. And , I would have liked to have known where/how Lily's supernatural support system originated. It just comes out of nowhere. But, as a whole, I liked this book.

Growing up, I dealt with bullies quite a bit. That's what drew me to this book. While reading it, I couldn't help but to keep thinking to myself just how lucky Lily - the book's protagonist - is, to have the supernatural support system that she has. Given the bullies that I dealt with, I would have loved to have had the same supernatural support system going for me when I was in junior high school, and high school!

[Siobhan Falen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 Stars

Lily is tormented and humiliated and the adults who are aware of her situation don't help. It's made worse in this day and age where access to cameras is simply in the palm of one's hand, making brutality more fashionable when everyone can just scroll through. Her reflection offers her the opportunity to make it right, but at what cost?

This was an interesting read, making you hate everyone with a passion. How could the adults not see and correct what was going on? These kids deserved punches in their reproductive organs so they couldn't pass on their venom. Even our main character didn't get a redemption arc though the epilogue did take her story up to the next level.

Glad Lily ended the bullying.

[Abigail L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute rollercoaster of a horror novel! The author has brilliantly captured the harrowing experiences of Lily, a girl tormented by bullies at school, and the eerie friendship she forms that ultimately leads to a nightmarish descent into darkness. This skillfully weaved tale blurs the lines between reality and the supernatural, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The relentless tension and suspense throughout the book are commendable, making it an unputdownable read. If you're a fan of horror with a touch of psychological thriller, this book should be at the top of your reading list!

[Adrianna Heaney-velu · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Bully Me- I Dare You” by Megan Monroe
Lily hates every day she goes to school, where her bullies will torment her. Her trauma and torment cause her to feel powerless, but her reflection speaks to her and tells her horrible things. When it all becomes too much, bodies start to drop.

This book is good for anyone who would love a horror novella and worth the read but it just wasn’t for me. Lily didn’t feel developed enough for me and I would like to have seen what she was like before the bullying and more of a build up to her extreme action instead of being dropped into the middle of it. 2 out of 5 stars.

-Bully
-Revenge
-Torture
-Rape
-Self-harm
-Suicide

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buckle up, folks! Bully Me - I Dare You is a spine-tingling, nail-biting horror story that will grip you from the very first page. This isn't your typical ghost and gore fest; it's a dark and twisted exploration of the human psyche. From the moment I picked up this book, I was hooked. Megan Monroe's storytelling is so immersive that you'll find yourself questioning what's real and what's imagined. If you're looking for a chilling tale of revenge and madness that'll leave you sleep-deprived, this is the book to read. Trust me; you won't be able to put it down!

[Issy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

My first go at extreme horror, I would say it was a neutral venture. Stomach wise, I can hold up to it just fine. I do feel like the extreme brutality is a bit of a cover for lack of a well thought out plot. But that’s not to say that this was plotless, perhaps the plot just wasn’t particularly interesting to me. I would read another novella from this author given the chance.


P.S. That reflection bitch is strong as shit apparently! She’s up in there like HULK SMASH.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF - I couldn't connect with the writing or characters. I didn't find our main character relatable, and bullying was kinda unbelievable to me. Also, the adults in the story don't act plausibly. Like at one point, the main character is having a meltdown screaming at her mother and a counsellor through a bathroom door to leave her alone, she's obviously extremely disstressed and in crisis, but they just leave? I felt thrust into the haunting aspect too quickly and not enough suspense. Just wasn't scary to me. I got about 40% when I decided to put it on the DNF list.

[Katrina Skinner · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a novella it was ok. As it was quite short there was something happening on every page and it wasn't filled with overly descriptive text.

I feel like the kills could have varied a little, seemed like the author was obsessed with head trauma.

I'm assuming the reflection was just another side to Lily but it was a little confusing at times as it seemed like the reflection was somewhere else when Lily was at Miras. May have read it wrong but but that's my interpretation.

An alright read if you want a quick horror story.

[Duyu Wander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the story and the main character, Lily. She is cute and easy to sympathize with. Despite this being a novella, the world-building was great; it managed to truly immerse me in this grim world of school, murder, and bullies. Looking at the writing, it's crystal clear that the author has talent.

The downside of this book was the many, many punctuation errors, which pulled me from the story more than a couple of times, but not enough to make me stop. The plot was too good, and I loved every page.

This was the novella I didn't know I needed. Many thanks to the author for writing it!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say this is more splatterpunk than horror.

It was very short, and I felt personally that I would have preferred more build up, and fleshing out of the characters before the main events. Sometimes it felt like there was gore there just for the sake of it. The bullying aspect was uncomfortable to read in such detail, especially knowing that stuff like this happens on a daily basis.

If you like a fast-paced fairly gory book then you'll probably love this. I would have liked it more if it was more developed however.

[Lyndsay booksbooksgin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow this was insane or maybe brutal is the better word. It was non stop violence and it evoked such raw emotion in me. I was so annoyed at the bullies and the savagery of their actions and the fact it was non stop for Lily. I sympathised with her and understood her actions and need for them to stop. Not sure I would have survived more if this wasn't a novella. I liked the narrative but not a revenge reflection isn't exactly original. Overall, a decent read.

[Bookishme_lisamarie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book sounded so good to me. I thought I'd really enjoy it. But, the consistent spelling and grammatical errors made it difficult to read and completely took me out of the story. I'd love to read a well edited version of this story.
I am grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice gory revenge story which is very well written with graphic content of extreme bullying and murder,the idea of using Lily's mirror reflection works and adds a twist to this book.Megan Monroe is an author that will go a very long way if she carries on writing like this...it certainly kept me on the edge of my seat...I have to give it 5 stars as it deserves it.

[Sharie Barker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intresting quick horror/novella. I really liked the concept, the only bit that confused me was one of the kills made it seem like lily's reflection had her own body and was in two places at once. It threw me off a bit as the story up to that point made it seem like her reflection had possessed her. Other than that, quick gory read!

[Johnny Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revenge against bullies-is dark!

Anyone who has been bullied or is sadly being bullied will have fantasised about forms of revenge and this supernatural ,or just a mind losing its last thread of sanity works well. It's just the right length, plays more on the certain characters and teen angst then bogging down with the nitty gritty of in depth detail which is good.

[CrimsonRaen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brutal in all ways, shapes, and forms.

What a scary, unrelenting horror that is unfortunately some of our youths reality. Bullies are by far some of the worst people that are so abundant even still. There is so much reality and brutality that it is no wonder that there is so much of a suicide crisis amongst the youth.