Cascading Petals

by Jane C. Brady

2018 Readers' Favorite Award Winner--Coming of Age


Despite the years of bullying in school, Jewel Hart has remained sweet and kind. She has it all--a great life, a great family, and beauty--but she has never been able to obtain the one thing she wants--to belong. 

When Jewel meets Kaiden Carter, a good-looking, charming new student at York Mills High, things start to look up. On the surface, he is perfect, but Jewel can't shake the feeling that everything is not as it seems. 

When the devastation of the rising suicides in her school hits too close to home and drives Jewel into a deep despair, she clings to Kaiden's strength to find her way back. Through the pain and fear surrounding her, she finds hope and the will to go on. But just as she picks herself up, tragedy strikes again, threatening to steal her last glimmer of hope. How will she go on? Can she ever find her place in the world?


Recommended for ages 16+

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

"In Cascading Petals, by Jane C Brady, we face bullying head-on, not in an abstract manner, but in a deeply personal and realistic way.
Cascading Petals is very much a teen romance story and one that is beautifully told by author Jane C Brady, but it is very much more than that. The author uses the story to explore dark and often hitherto hidden places where teenage minds and angst can reside, especially when faced with the hurtful taunts and lies of not only their peers, but even some of their teachers. The ulterior motive of this book was clearly to shine a light into areas that we, as adults, are often afraid to go and to show just how incredibly debilitating systematic and concerted bullying can be , not just to those being bullied, but often to the perpetrators themselves. Brady tells the story in a no-holds-barred narrative and yet maintains a sensitivity and a compassion that we wish were present inside of those who choose to relieve their own inner pain at the expense of others. This is one of the best books on the subject I've read and Brady is to be congratulated for telling this difficult story without resorting to clichés and over-emotional responses. A great job. "⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-Readers' Favorite

"This beautifully written and heartbreaking story deals with the issue of bullying and suicide. I rode a chaotic and emotional roller coaster ride with this book not only because of the outstanding job the author did with the writing and characters but also with the fact that these things happen to so many teens every single day."⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-YA Book Divas

This is an excellent story .  Very well-written. I wish that every student could read this book and then discuss it with others.  What a powerful reminder to us all about the hardships of growing up and attending school.
The characters are very well-developed.  I enjoyed them all. I felt their emotions, the ups and downs.  I shed a lot of tears.
I would highly recommend this book to pre-teens, teens and even adults.  It is a good reminder for everyone.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-Rockin' Book Reviews

"The entire story was moving and brilliantly done." Haddie's Haven 

Genres: Young Adult Romance

259 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 5, 2017

Reviews

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was on the promotional blog tour for this book! 3.5 out of 5 stars!

T/W- Suicide, Bullying

Cascading Petals was an emotional read, following the life of a young girl called Jewel Hart. During her school days, she has been a victim of horrific bullying that has resulted in anxiety and upset, not having any friends to spend time with. As she starts her final year in High School, she meets a new student Kaiden Carter, they grow close despite fellow students at the school earning Kaiden about Jewel with untrue rumours. Across the news, the numbers of teens taking their own life have increased. After feeling depressed, Jewel has Kaiden to stay close to until a horrible tragedy occurs, shattering both of their worlds.

There are multiple POVs and sometimes, it was a little bit confusing to track whose perspective it was. The Contemporary romance was not insta-love, the high school setting realistic. There was one character in particular (a teacher) who was extremely unprofessional but you heard the story from all sides. The dialogue kept the story flowing well, I did struggle a little with character connection but the bullying I can personally relate to since I was bullied a lot during my high school years. The last couple of chapters really hit me, I can't spoil the story since I don't write spoiler reviews but what I will say is that Cascading Petals does give you, as the reader, the emotional impact. I would read more books by this author!

[Kerrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Cascading Petals, by Jane C Brady, we see what too many students have to deal with, bullying, through the eyes of a teenager named Jewel. On the outside, it would seem that Jewel has a wonderful life, she has a loving family, and wants for nothing. Except acceptance. She wants to fit in at school, but ever since she was a little girl, she’s been bullied. In particular, a girl named Lexie has made Jewels life miserable. To the point where she’s afraid to go to school.

Then Jewel meets Kaiden, and she thinks that the times may be changing, she’s got someone on her side that she can trust, someone she can finally fit in with. When tragedy strikes, Jewel must pick up the pieces and try to figure out why bullying is so rampant at her school.

This book was very deep, real, and heart wrenching. You can tell that the author really knows what she’s talking about, and that she has dealt with bullying in her own life. It’s sad, so so sad, that there are children and teenagers out there who get treated so unfairly, for no particular reason. Even though this book is a little depressing, it’s also a great lesson learning story. I did enjoy reading it, and I loved that the narratives between Jewel, Kaiden, Lexie and another boy named Chad, were told through different perspectives. It gives the idea that you can really get to know Kaiden and Jewel, but Lexie and Chad- the bullies- are more of a mystery.

If you are looking for a book that will teach your child a lesson about humility, then definitely pick up this story, it’s wonderfully written and has a good message. Though, it may be a little dark
And triggering for some. This story deserves 5 stars.

[Laura Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully written and heartbreaking story deals with the issue of bullying and suicide. I rode a chaotic and emotional roller coaster ride with this book not only because of the outstanding job the author did with the writing and characters but also with the fact that these things happen to so many teens every single day and unfortunately, many feel and decide that suicide is the only option they have left. I also loved how the author incorporated the fact that bullying isn’t just done by other kids but also by an adult. I am glad that I read this and I hope that others read it and enjoy it as much as I did. -YA/NA Book Divas


{I requested a copy for reviewing purposes and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions contained herein are unbiased and my own.}

[Melissasfandomworld · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those contemporary ya romances that I really fell in love with.
Beautiful writing and quotes completing a story that pulled on my heartstrings.

I really loved the characters and the fact that it's written in dual pov, as well as the well written family-bond-elements. I feel like that all just adds a good amount of more depth to the overall story.

This is a ya contemporary romance I highly recommend if you're into this genre specific, but also if it's normally not your cup of tea but when the synopsis does look interesting to you. It's a beautifully written story and in my case one that really had me hooked early on in the story and engaged until the very end.

[Tony Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jewel Hart is preparing for another tough year in high school. She’s ready for the bullies, but she’s not prepared to fall in love. As her friends come together, and love blossoms, tragedy strikes. Right when her self esteem was coming back!
This book, like Jewel, is very sweet. A book about bullying, self-esteem, and love, it speaks volumes to the self-aware young adult that struggles with the pressures of high school. Jewels possess a kind of introspection that I’ve seen in books like The Hunger Games. Although this is a young adult novel, Jewel posses a maturity I would expect from an adult, but what I came to realize while reading is that it’s a maturity one has when they’ve been through a lot. And Jewel definitely has.
The novel changes perspective a lot, going from first to third person, but it follows a rhythm that I was able to fall into and enjoy.
Jewel, and her protagonist Lexi, are both characters that start two dimensional and progressively gain layers as the story progresses, their lives are revealed, and their inner pain is laid bare. This is the most interesting part of the novel for me. See who these people are, how they got to where they are now, and hoping they end up somewhere better.
A remarkable novel that I recommend to anyone looking for a teen angst novel with a soul.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit the cover for this book is deceiving as it shows a happy girl with a country theme with the boy and horse. Opening the pages though, I would later come to realize how much this book would affect me. To give readers a heads up, this book touches on Bullying and Suicide. As someone who was bullied in school and eventually in workplaces as well, I always find this sort of books touching to me as they strike something in me that I can resonate with. This book starts with Jewel Hart who plans this Senior year will be different than the past few years but unfortunately, she is still the victim of bullying, but this time it is a little different as newcomer Kaiden befriends Jewel and she has an ally finally to make her life a bit more bearable. During the novel, her little group of friends will grow from none to three. She will finally find a group of friends that like her have been victims of bullying and be seen as loners or outcasts. The group will become thick as thieves, but unfortunately, tragedy will come to this group as friends as the bullying has still been happening for this group, and one of the foursomes has reached their teether and can't take it anymore and ends in suicide. This book talks about how people bully and the reasons behind the bullying, even though when you are the one bullied you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Just remember that more often than not there is and that suicide is not the solution even though trust me, it does seem like the only option sometimes. From someone who was bullied, life does eventually get better as you will meet someone who accepts you for who you are and they will never let anyone harm you. This book is for anyone who has ever been the bullied or is a bully as it will bring to light from both sides of the coin.

[Vera Neves (Sinfonia dos Livros) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I really enjoyed this book. Although it is a book based on the romance between two young people who are completely different from each other in the way of being and acting, the main theme addressed in this book is something that is currently a very serious problem in our society: bullying.
Jewel is a young girl in her final year of high school. She is beautiful and intelligent, although she does not consider herself like that. Until she meets Kaiden, but we will be there soon enough.

Full Review
https://sinfoniadoslivros.blogspot.pt...

[filming.pages · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley and Jane C. Brady for the free copy of this book in exchange with an honest review.

I was very eager to read this book because it dealt with bullying, which is a matter I'm incredibly into, since it's very relevant and I want to delve into it's causes and it's aftermath as much as I can. I think this book does a very good job of portraying how a victim of bullying navigates high school and how affected by it this person is, even out of school, when he/she is supposedly safe from the harmful comments and the mean behavior.

What impressed me most, was how amazing Jewel's family is. And by amazing I don't mean that they did anything extraordinary, they were simply an ordinary caring family, that only had Jewel's best interests at heart. I think it's important to portray good family models in books, because especially in young adult and contemporary fiction, I rarely see a family that's united and where the kids don't have problems with the parents, etc. It was very refreshing to see Jewel's family interact and I think it promotes a very healthy model of how families should be: close-knit, loving and supporting towards one another.

I had two problems with this book: 1) it was too short and 2) there was some stereotyping of characters and situations. Let me explain what I mean.
By "too short" I mean that I wanted more detail in a lot of stuff and I also wanted some situations explored more thoroughly. For example, we are told that Jewel sings, paints, does horseback riding, but we only read about horseback riding. It was like the other two hobbies were just mentioned to make her more interesting. Also, after a certain event, Jewel and Kaiden said that they wanted to take a more active role in preventing bullying and that they would organise speeches and stuff like that, which never happened and after a few pages the reader just reads that they work they did on that area was very successful. But I wanted to see what they did, I wanted to read about Jewel giving a speech, I wanted more from the book, because in my opinion that would make it more wholesome.
Now to my second point, there were some stereotypes being mentioned and I would love it so so much if they weren't there. For example, the "nerdy" guy had his glasses taped with white tape in the middle, which is such a stereotype for someone that's more studious than most. Why couldn't the "nerdy" guy have piercings? Or be super hot? Don't these people exist? Or the definition of someone who studies a lot and loves science is only what we see in high school movies?

Kaiden and Jewel's relationship was so sweet and not toxic at all and I was very glad for that. It was far from the typical high school romance and Kaiden was exactly what Jewel needed to help her get through another difficult high school year. Kaiden had such a nice and charming personality, even though he himself had been through a lot and I was very happy to see them together, because they fitted each other very good!

All in all, "Cascading Petals" is a very nice book about bullying that can be read in a breeze, as it is very engrossing and has interesting characters. It's a book that I would read again and would recommend to anyone who wants to get glimpse about bullying.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘’ In this world, cruel people take many forms’’

This story had my cry a couple of times. This book makes you feel so much emotion, I felt so much sadness, anger but also a lot of love while reading this book.

‘’Remember, they’re the ones with the issues, not you. They’re the ones hurting inside, and you just happen to be the one they spew it out on.’’

I really liked the different point of views while reading this. It gave me much more insight in what others were dealing with. It shows you that every single person has gone through, or is going through, tough things in life. Some people can’t deal with their problems and start treating others poorly because of that. This book made me feel some empathy for the things the bullies went through (except for Chad, I hate him)

I ABSOLUTLY LOVED Jewel, I think she is such a strong person. She will always stay kind to everyone and try to make the best out of everything life throws at her. I really loved how the relation between her and Kaiden wasn’t insta-love. It developed so slowly and I think they’re a really cute couple together. I also loved the friendships that developed in the story, I really admire Jewel for the choices she made (I will not go into detail, because I don’t want to spoil anything)

‘’But I found the more I worked on deleting the files of garbage stored in my subconscious, the more I started to believe in myself’’

I also want to talk about the family dynamics of this story. Because her little sister Ellie is such a cute little angel, my heart melted reading some of the things she said. I loved the bound between Jewel and her parents, and I loved to see how things worked out for Kaiden in the end. It was so nice to read about Jewels parents, they were so supportive and I just think they’re the best. This book showed how much bullying can effect a whole family.

To end this review I want to add another quote that I really liked
‘’ People have this misconception that bullying affects only the kids who are acne-covered and overweight, their mouths full of braces. But it affects us all – kids of all ages, shapes, sizes and races. Pretty or not, we all became part of bullying at some point in our lives

[Bergen Adair · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jewel has been bullied all her life. She trudges through her day-to-day, just scraping by as she is tormented relentless cruelty from her classmates. Everything changes her senior year with the appearance of Kaidan into her life. She blossoms and discovers love and friendship in a group of friends brought together by chance and kindness. Together they grow and learn and suffer together, and in the end, everyone has learned a lesson or two. Cascading Petals by J C Brady is a story about love, friendship, bullying, teen suicide, family, and overcoming adversity.
This book is coming from a good place and communicates a positive and uplifting message. Teen suicide, bullying, and teenage relationships are all very important topics that are often pushed aside in novels for the sake of focusing on the romantic element. Brady didn’t fall into that trap, which I really appreciated. The petal images that break up chapters is lovely and adds texture visually to the work. I did wish there had been more flower imagery in the prose itself to connect the title, because at the moment it doesn’t fit very well.
My main complaint with this book is the lack of polishing. There are dozens of examples of word misusage—she uses a word that sounds like the word that would fit in context, but it is completely the wrong word (illuminated vs. emanated, divulged vs. diverted, etc). The dialogue is awkward and unrealistic, and there are grammar and punctuation errors throughout. There are some minor inconsistencies that threw me out of my reading experience as well—the novel takes place in Canada, but a character is described as African-American, Amy claims she’s been Lexi’s friend for years but Lexi forgets her name at one point earlier, etc. Another round of editing could do a lot for this book.
There were some characterization and character building flaws that really hurt a novel as well. All the characters were hyper self-aware—they knew the base of their traumas, were completely aware of their motivations and intentions, and often told the reader, “I’m this way because of the following reasons.” This kind of straight-forward telling instead of showing is problematic for a few reasons. It doesn’t allow the reader to do any intuiting or interpreting of their own. Every single thing is laid out for us from point A to point B, and so nothing that happens is surprising or meaningful in any way. Everyone who grows or changes throughout the book (which they do—and that’s great to see) does so in a way that is entirely shown with words rather than actions. Even in an allegorical tale like this that is intended to be a metaphor for larger societal trends, the characters need to behave in ways that real people could behave in order to make the reader buy into the world and events the author is presenting us with. Everyone who has ever taken a writing course has been told ‘show don’t tell,’ and J C Brady needs to take that to heart in many ways.
Rating: 2/5. It has a lot of potential and comes from a solid base of ideas, but needs a lot of work before it can live up to its potential.

[M.C. Cairns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jewel's journey is one all to familiar in the world today. Having been a victim of relentless bullying myself, I empathized deeply with her and her struggles. The other issues touched on (I won't name them to avoid spoilers) are real struggles that teens face every day, and Ms. Brady navigates them beautifully. I laughed, I cried, I loved some characters and rooted for them, and I hated others and hoped they would get what was coming to them. The message of survival, love, and hope was deeply ingrained throughout the story and made me take a second look at myself to evaluate my own values. Brady did an excellent job of providing hope for those who may not be able to find it anywhere else.

[SUZAN C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life as a teenager isn't always what you see in the movies. Designer clothes, luxury cars, and European vacations are all depicted in movies as something every teenager seem to have. But there are also dark sides to every teenager. When pressure from family and friends get in the way of growing into healthy and happy adults, the facade that most teens wear falls away to reveal troubles that they tried so hard to hide.
In Cascading Petals, we are immediately taken into the life of the young heroine, Jewel Hart. Eighteen-year-old Jewel is beautiful, smart, and talented, with a heart of gold and a smile that lights up the world. But overshadowing this brilliant girl is a lifetime of bullying and being ignored by her classmates and school administrative. Written in the voice of Jewel along with other central characters, we glimpse into the not so fabulous life as a teen. With the rise of bullying and threats all around her, will Jewel overcome her pain and doubts as she tries to survive her last year in high school?
Along the way, Jewel meets the new boy in town, Kaiden, who is handsome, intelligent, and self assured. He immediately takes a liking to Jewel, seeing the true "jewel" that she is although she tries to hide it from her. The blossoming of their friendship and eventual love is beautiful to read and was very well written by the author. I felt their strengths for each other as well as their pain in trying to fit into a world where you could easily be treated as a nobody. But Jewel and Kaiden's support for each other as well as from their families made this story really shine.
Cascading Petals is a story that hits you straight to the heart. My own heart broke towards the end of this story, feeling the pain that these main characters felt and hoping they will eventually triumph through. Cascading Petals isn't just a book about teenagers going through a hard time in high school or in life. It's a story that tells of hardship and sadness beginning at a very young age for both Jewel, Kaiden, Amy, and Lexi. While Jewel, Kaiden, and Amy had the love and support of their families, no one can truly know another's pain, of the fear and angst that lives in those who have been bullied or harmed in any way their entire lives.
There is a lot of be said and learned from reading a book such as Cascading Petals. It's a good reminder to treat others with respect and to stand up for yourself. Life is usually not fair and we have all been dealt some misgivings here and there. But it's how we pick ourselves up after the fall and shine brighter than others that help us overcome the bad dealings in life. Teenagers and even pre-teens get a sense that they can do anything in their world, that they can say whatever they want and act however they want. But little do they know that the big world out there can be so much crueler if they don't open their eyes to their own actions and behavior. Every choice we make has a consequence - be it good or bad. And with young adults, it can be excruciatingly hard for them to know what's truly right and wrong. Heck, even most adults have trouble with that sometimes.
Each and every one of us have been teased, bullied, or made fun of one way or another. It's an unfortunate side effect of being human. It's important to remember that we all have shortcomings and pitfalls. No one is perfect nor should we even try to be perfect. And in the end, does it really matter that you aren't the prettiest girl in school or the jockiest jock? Does it matter if you have a better car or have designer clothes while the person next to you lives barely within their means? It doesn't make us better or worse. It should just make us feel compassion and help others understand that life has more meaning than what's on the surface. I truly hope you read Cascading Petals as it can be a good "wake up call" for all of us.
Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and Jane Brady for the ARC!

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Jane C. Brady’s YA novel Cascading Petals, our protagonist’s name is Jewel Hart, which tells you everything about how charming this novel is, and how completely lacking in nuance it is. Sweet senior Jewel expects another year of ostracism at school and harassment for the high school’s mean girls, but meeting a new boy at school begins to give her the confidence she needs.

Throughout the book, good-hearted characters behave in reliably kind ways, with very little conflict outside of the bullying. There was little internal struggle, instead, the book’s conflict comes from good-hearted teenagers facing harassment and insults from cruel school bullies. The notable exception is Amy, a former mean girl with a warm heart, who struggles to get past her horrible early childhood.

Their school fails the student victims at every turn, because just as the good characters are reliably upstanding, the hostile characters are unreachably hostile. While in reality many schools do fail to support students, in my experience, teachers and other adults who dismiss teen bullying tend to blow if off as kids being kids, as a harmless part of growing up, or ask what part the victim played in the situation. Blatant stonewalling, as happened over and over in this novel, felt a bit flat, and didn’t really do justice to the themes introduced.

For example, Ms Barker, an English teacher, known for playing favorites in her classes, chooses to let mean girl Lexi slide while coming down hard on Jewel. Certain personality types are lead to teaching teens because they get a real charge out of being the social leader over teenagers, but a teacher who blatantly insults some students while sycophantically flattering others really needed nuance and development. This character also begs for some backstory: Was she a queen bee bully in high school, who never moved beyond a high school hierarchy? Or was she a bullied teen who followed this path to get a second shot at being the queen bee? This was a missed opportunity for Brady to show another consequence of teen bullying, with an adult who’s unable to move past her high school identity and who continues to lash out at young women she perceives as weaker.

Even without as much nuance and character growth as I would have liked, this novel packs a lot of drama and tackles many teen issues. The main themes of the story are the dangers of bullying and the ways that bullying leads to teen depression and then to the tragic suicide of promising young people, but Cascading Petals explores more teen issues, with cutting, sexual abuse, and other forms of depression as well. Seeing sweet Jewel with her loving parents, looking after her adorable little sister, or falling in love with Kaidan made a nice counterpoint to the tragedies.

As I read, I enjoyed the development of voice in each section. For example, there’s casual swearing in Lexi’s sections, occasional swearing for emphasis in Kaidan’s, and no bad language in sweet Jewel sections. Kaidan’s feelings for Jewel are warm and engaging, and our glimpses of Lexi’s home life remind readers that bullying doesn’t occur in a vacuum. I only wish there was the same focus on supporting characters Finn and Amy, I’d have liked to get to know them better. I hope this author will continue to write warm and compassionate YA fiction.

In all, this is a caring look at an issue that affects many teenagers. Perhaps the biggest takeaway could be a reminder that real issues are not quite so clear cut, and we’d do well to look carefully at teenagers who seem fine or just a little moody.

[Sami Passlow · Rating 1 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review*

DNF Page 50/201 - 14/2/2020

I was very interested in this book so I requested it but unfortunately the story was boring and cheesy.

I can usually push through a book I don’t really like for review purposes but I did not care for any of the characters and the pace of the story of to slow for me. I expected a little more to happen in 50 pages. I also think there’s a lot of unnecessary description of characters.

Some notes I highlighted:

*after accidentally taking a random girls coffee (main female character)*

‘The barista’s voice cut through my thoughts as she said, “Her name is Jewel Hart.” She pasted a smile on her lips, the lipstick the wrong shade of pink. Even though the middle-aged woman had gotten her appearance all wrong, she exuded a friendly warmth. She titled her dyed ash-blonde head toward the building next door. She went on to inform me that the lovely creature who’d just departed worked across the street at the law firm in the summer for her parents.’

*Because it’s always a real idea for a random woman to tell a stranger personal information (full name, where their parents work) about another random person*

*Not only is he obsessed about a random stranger he had a two second conversation with at a coffee shop, he is also to eager to get her phone number. They’ve only known each other for about two or three days*

‘“You know it’s already halfway through the week, and I’ve been waiting since we met at the coffee shop to get your number.’”

*Honestly surprised he didn’t just asked the random lady at the coffee shop for Jewel’s number considering she told him her full name and where here parents work*

*Pointless description about a teacher*

‘The clicking of her neon-orange heels on the taupe-speckled vinyl tiles grated at me. Her fiery red hair hung long and heavy like a cheap wig. The blue denim sleeveless blouse she wore revealed the tattoo running from the shoulder and covering three-quarters of her right arm. She had calculatedly used black eyeliner to achieve an over dramatic cat eye.’

*Felt like a lot of Jewel’s inner dialogue as very over dramatic*

‘After all these years, I still couldn’t wrap my brain around why I had become a walking bulls-eye for people to unload their rage on.’

‘School ended and, liberated from my chains, I sprang out of the double doors. My feet were eager to flee the reformatory behind the barricades of those doors.’

*The “You’re not like other girls-esque” comment*

‘“You threaten them. You’re beautiful, charming, and seem to be the kind of girl a guy can be himself around. I don’t know much about you, but it’s my first take on the situation.”
‘“Jewel’s different from most. She’s good. She won’t go for someone like you.”’

*When a guy is a decent human being and is nice to someone*

‘He walked to the counter and handed his tray to the volunteer, an acne-covered Grade 11 student. His polite “Thank you” got my attention, and the wide smile he offered her grabbed at my heart. The volunteer’s face flushed a scarlet red. It was my turn to sit and gape. Maybe Kaiden Carter was a guy of substance? What were the chances?’


Overall, I didn’t enjoy the read and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

[April Pulliam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane C. Brady has struck a chord like no other with Cascading Petals. When Jewel Hart begins her senior year, she does so believing with all her heart and soul that it will be yet another in a long string of school years plagued with verbal and mental abuse from her peers. Friendless and full of dread, Jewel comes face to face with Kaiden Carter and the bevy of emotions she has yet to allow herself to feel. What begins as a small circle of two soon expands as Jewel and Kaiden stand with their classmates bent on fighting the long-standing tradition of ignoring the rampant bullying issue within their local school system.

Written for young adults, Cascading Petals faces head-on the topic of bullying and teen suicide. Brady masterfully addresses the burden carried by the victims of humiliation, intimidation, and alienation by students and teachers. The very real epidemic, not acknowledged often enough, is exposed in all its raw and painful truth for readers as they follow the assorted narrators retelling the events leading up to to the conclusion of their senior year.

The author’s use of varied first and third-person narratives is incredibly effective in drawing the reader into the characters’ lives. Readers hear of Jewel’s torment, her inner struggle, her unbelievable strength, and her ultimate victory in her own amazingly mature words. Kaiden, a hero in his own right, will bring the proverbial swoon from young readers. He is everything Jewel didn’t realize she needed and everything readers want him to be.

Lexi, the primary source of Jewel’s misery, is a character on par with any movie representation of a mean girl. In many ways, however, she exceeds the typical bratty, entitled behavior. She is steeped in sadness and regret, and hers is a story worth reading. Her story is, sadly, accurate. Chad, her wayward boyfriend, gives another layer of depth to the plot and provides readers a hauntingly authentic portrait of a troubled boy headed off the rails and off them at break-neck speed.

At first glance, I felt something was amiss with the narrative swapping taking place. While Jewel and Kaiden’s sections are first-person accounts, Lexi and Chad’s are both written in third-person. It works, though. Readers will tend to feel more attuned to the plight of Jewel and want to feel the emotions through Kaiden. Pulling back from Lexi and Chad only seems natural throughout the majority of the narrative.

If I have to find one aspect lacking in Cascading Petals, it would be the omission of Amy’s point of view. While I understand after finishing the book some of the author’s choices in leaving Amy’s plotline a bit of a mystery, I would like to have heard more of her background as it parallels Jewel’s experiences.

I give Cascading Petals 5 out of 5 stars. Brady bravely tackles the issue of bullying with a tasteful and elegantly written tale relevant to today’s teens and young adults. She emphasizes the pain, the long-term effects, and the impact of reaching out to not only victims, but to the perpetrators themselves. Kudos to Brady for using her talent to advocate for change.

[David Gunner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cascading Petals by Jane C. Brady
Bullying is a global epidemic. Children are bullied at school. Adults are bullied at work. Establishments invoking status quo encourage alienation. The worst part is that the relevant authorities do absolutely nothing about it.
A child comes home from school with a nasty bruise. They were shoved or kicked. The teacher knows nothing about it. The same child defends itself by fighting back. Disciplinary action is taken against violence. This abhorrent tolerance for bullying has led to incidences of suicide. Young children and teenagers taking their own lives because of the outlook they have on themselves. Self-esteem issues brought on by teasing at school. Often it is choked up to adolescence. In some instances, the adults do not even notice the child withdrawing into their own cocoon of despair.
Jewel Hart has a good life. Her parents are embarrassing but still loving to their kids and each other. She has a closet fit for a movie star with chandeliers and bottomless choice of clothing. Her brother is simply her hero. She has everything but the thing she really wants. The thing everyone desires regardless of age. She wants to fit in. She wants to have at least one friend. She wants to be accepted. She does not want her curves to be a shame but a celebration of her femininity. Lexi particularly makes her life a living hell. She cannot even have lunch at school because according to them, she is fat at 100 pounds. One day, perfect Kaiden Carter walks into her life.
Kaiden is new at York Mills High. He gives Jewel the companionship she has been longing for all these years. Jewel derives strength to deal with everything from him. She finally gets to a point of self-acceptance. Then tragedy strikes. Suicide becomes rampant in the school.
Will Jewel cope? Why does Lexi target Jewel so much?
Jane Brady wrote this story from her daughter’s experience with bullying./ Everyone has such an experience or knows another who does. The story of Jewel brings to attention the issues of teen suicide and alienation. While the readers unintentionally immerse themselves in the narrative, they are forced to think about the seriousness of these subjects.
Apart from Jewel and Kaiden, the author also talks about Lexi and Chad. Chad is also a bully. Both of them have issues beneath the surface. Issues that cause their untoward behavior. The author noticeably uses the first-person narrative with Jewel and Kaiden but the third person with Lexi and Chad. This works to gain sympathy for Jewel and her plight. It draws a line between the victim and her tormentors.
Jane has a bank of deep characters. Relatable characters, Characters whose lives seem perfect but have fatal flaws. Her attention to personal detail paints a very vivid mental picture. The story is raw and authentic. Her passion for the subject and her characters is evident through her prose.
Sure, a lot has been done about the issue of bullying and teen suicide but more remains to b

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jewel seems like a girl who has it all; she is pretty, intelligent and has a loving family. The only problem is she has been bullied for her entire school life, and she enters senior year expecting history to repeat itself. But then she encounters Kaiden, the handsome and mysterious new boy at school, and her life begins to change. Jewel and her school-mates must face up to the epidemic of bullying, their internal teenage struggles, and the failures of their families and the school system; they must hold on to love, friendship, and hope to overcome the difficulties facing them.

‘Cascading petals’ by Jane C. Brady addresses some extremely difficult themes such as bullying, dysfunctional families, mental health and teen suicide. These could seem contrived in the hands of another author but Brady tackles them deftly and with sensitivity. The humiliation, confusion, and dread felt by the victims are portrayed with heartbreaking clarity. The author never patronises the reader or underplays the seriousness of the issues for her young audience, and although the book is aimed at young adults, these themes are so relevant in the modern world that I’m sure most readers would relate to them.

Brady has used multiple narratives within the book to give us insight into the inner lives of her characters and to better understand their different points of view. This really helped me to empathise and appreciate the motives of characters who I may otherwise have struggled to identify with, such as Chad. Through these different narratives, Brady illustrates that everyone is facing their own struggles and pain, that this can manifest itself in different ways, and that we can never really know what another person is going through. The author cleverly switches between first-person narrative for Jewel and Kaiden and third-person for Lexi and Chad, which distances us slightly from the bullies and makes us feel closer to the victims.

Initially, I felt that the characters were a little clichéd and one-dimensional (for example ‘Chad the jock’) but when we delve into their individual narratives we come to realise that they are multi-faceted, flawed and complex humans. I particularly enjoyed the character development of Lexi, and the insights into her painful home life really struck a chord with me. Jewel is a very relatable heroine who brings warmth to the story and she and Kai are likeable main protagonists.

Brady writes in very accessible prose, and her dialogue is so naturalistic and authentic- which is no mean feat when writing teen voices! She excels at writing place and the pace of the story means we are immediately embroiled in the lives of these teenagers.

Because I felt so involved in the story, this book made for a surprisingly easy read despite the difficult subject matter. There is an overarching message of hope running through the narrative which left me feeling optimistic. I think that this is a great addition to YA fiction which sheds light on issues that are crucial but too rarely discussed.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cascading Petals, by Jane C. Brady, is a young adult novel dealing with issues related to drama, romance, school, and family in a modern, urban, Canadian setting. The story focuses on the experiences of Jewel Hart, a senior attending York Mills High School in Toronto, Canada. In addition to Jewel, the book's important characters include Kaiden Carter, Chad Palmer, Lexi Clark, Jess, Amy Kent, and Finn Gracia, all of whom are students at the High School. The book utilizes a mixed point of view, sometimes third-person and sometimes first-person; it further switches from character to character throughout the story. The book is very easy to read, but the writing style, character development, and plot have some drawbacks.

At the start of the book, Jewel is beginning her senior year of high school. Her experiences there are affected by long-standing relationship conflicts. Jewel gets relentlessly bullied by a trio of mean girls and no one with any authority speaks out to protect her; until she meets Kaiden, whom she eventually strikes up a relationship with. Another protector also appears in Finn. He seems as though he could represent another love interest, but if he does, it is a very subtle love triangle. With those supports, Jewel fairs better. However, the bullies then turn their attention to a new victim, which eventually leads to very dire consequences.

In terms of overall plot, Brady tries to tell a powerful, emotional, and timely story about some serious issues that are affecting today’s society. However, her use of these timely issues made the plot sometimes feel somewhat predictable. Further, there seemed to be limited emotional weight for key elements of the story, at least relative to the gravity of the events and the emotional reactions one might have to those events.

The writing style does make Cascading Petals an easy read. However, character dialogue sometimes seemed strange and not quite matching the typical language and demeanor of today’s teens. A prime example of this is the word “surely.” It is spoken by two characters, Jewel and Jess, and then Jewel uses it again in some internal dialogue. These moments seemed strange and not matching the modern high school context. This pulled focus from the story, reminding the reader this is an author’s attempt at representing the lives on the page.

Considering the lives on the page, many of the characters felt somewhat flat or even seemed like typical high school character archetypes. For example, Chad Palmer is your typical jock. Jess is the unrepentant bad girl. Finn is a colorful character, but he also comes across as a token minority character. These stereotypic high school characters somewhat detract from what the story could have to offer.

Cascading Petals is intended for a mature Teen or YA audience. There are depictions of personal and familial abuse, intimate partner violence, drug and alcohol use, suicide, sex and sexuality, death, and emotional trauma. Overall, it is clear that Brady has current social concerns at the core of this book.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cascading Petals, written by Jane C. Brady, is based on a teenage girl Jewel Hart. Jewel is a sensitive and caring soul who comes from a seemingly perfect life. But her years in the schoolyard prove to be a different story with her gentle nature drawing her in as the target for bullies. Finally, after relentless attacks and years of snide remarks, Jewel finds herself forming genuine friendships and discovering the true meaning of respect and loyalty. However, it soon becomes clear that these new friends are battling demons from both their past and present.

Cascading Petals is a heartfelt story that deals with the cruel reality of teenage bullying. Prepare to feel anger, laugh and cry in this emotional novel that touches on sensitive issues surrounding anxiety, depression and suicide.

There are mean girls, jocks, a charming boy and teenage angst, but Cascading Petals takes a more serious look at what problems are present in our high schools today. The plotline paints a beautiful picture of the brutal reality that many school children sadly face on a daily basis. Jane Brady approaches the sensitive issues with a sense of respect and understanding, leaving the reader feeling inclined to understand and empathise with the characters. Even the language has a sense of beauty about it, from the description of simple objects to the vibrant imagery projected through conversations and relationships of the characters.

Many of the issues and insecurities felt by the main character Jewel are feelings and thoughts that many women have experienced themselves. From worries about weight and food to feeling stress about how the opposite sex may perceive us, Cascading Petals will be a gentle reminder of how important it is to be kind to others. Mixed between the strong themes are the innocent teenage experiences such as first kisses, nervous butterflies and feeling excited about going on a date.

The book interchanges between characters and their perspective, giving insight into how they felt and viewed situations. I loved how the author was able to do this as it pushed me to consider how other characters interpreted and thought about the scenarios. Viewing life from both the “good” characters and the “bad” meant you were able to see that you may not always know what is going on behind closed doors. It gave the storyline more complexity and depth, creating a sense of empathy for characters that you would least expect. One line resonated with me, “Pretty or not, we all became part of bullying at some point in our lives”, as it drove home the importance of standing up for people who may be experiencing bullying themselves.

Cascading Petals is the perfect novel to help teenagers and adults understand the trials and tribulations experienced by those in high school. It portrays the build-up of torment that some teenagers are forced to endure while showing that we may not always know the true story of someone's anger or depression.

I rate this novel a 5/5 and would recommend this for all teenagers, adults and children alike.

[Sarah Nantais · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come into the world of Jewel Hart: a teenager with a beautiful soul who is experiencing ugly hardships. Within the pages of Cascading Petals by Jane C. Brady, we will learn just what the sources of these hardships are. It’s not easy to exist in high school, especially when you’ve been made the target of bullies for the majority of your life. With one year left, Jewel braces herself to get this final torture over and done. It won’t go easy for her, however. With the new transfer student Jewel finds her life flipped upside down. Enemies have the potential to become friends and acquaintances become that much closer. Is there love in Jewel’s future? Or is there only heartache?

Brady captures the torture of being a bullied high school student with such majesty; it was hard to put the book down. Anyone who struggled, or is struggling, in that time of their life will immediately identify with the way Brady portrays her characters. She also shows her antagonists as human, which can be difficult to do. When you’ve experienced bullying, the hardest thing, aside from surviving, is realizing that your tormentors are just as human as you are. It’s a very realistic approach and lends itself well to this book. Her depiction of how schools have been handling bullying in Canada was also very accurate. While there are good schools out there, the majority have been severely unprepared to address the issue, even when something tragic happens.

The only downfall of this book would have to be some of the descriptions that the characters use for each other. When transfer student Kaiden Carter describes how Jewel appears to him, it’s with very over-the-top imagery which can be hard to swallow. While this is a young adult novel and that language is expected, it’s a bit much in some places. As a teen reading the book, however, it might be easier to accept.

It is important to note that Brady does not hold back in the repercussions of her characters actions. There are events that take place in the book that may act as triggers for sensitive readers, so that should be taken into consideration before settling down to read. It’s heartbreaking for those who get invested in the lives of the characters to watch them struggle and go through such pain. By bouncing the book back and forth between different viewpoints, the full picture can be seen which can cause a larger impact on the reader.

For a young adult novel it was pleasantly surprising to feel so invested in how things turned out for the protagonists of Cascading Petals by Jane C. Brady. As a reader outside the target for this book, it was great to feel connected to the characters right from the start. Covering difficult topics and fairly crafting each characters personality and backstory, Brady does a great job making her book worth the read. By doing such a realistic job, all readers will find themselves swallowed up and eager for more.

[Kwong Ling · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Cascading Petals” is a novel by Jane Brady about kids coming of age. It centers on Jewel Hart, a senior in suburban Canada, who is dealing with a number of issues as she exits high school. A small cast is used to offer perspectives on Jewel’s issues, as each character see her with different lenses. As she overcomes each issue, Jewel and the cast become friends, helps with their problems, and claims the role of protagonist. As the main character, Jewel is an example of the highs and lows of a female teenager.

The author uses Jewel Hart to reach a younger audience about the problems of high school. Such are personified in Chad Palmer, a fellow senior who has none of Jewel’s insecurities but all of her problems. Coming from a well to do family, Chad is dealing with the complacencies of adolescence and does not care who stands in his way. The author portrays him in the most negative light possible and warns readers about staying clear of his money or his person. There are also the problems that are timeless and are passed from one generation of high schoolers to another. While Jewel shares in those insecurities, it is interesting how the author presents issues of self-esteem and body image through a cast of characters. Lexi Clark, Jewel’s main nemesis, share the same deficiencies but at greater degrees; her familial status merits a visit from social workers, and she sees Jewel not only as a rival but a better class of people. In their relationship, the author highlights compassion upon the less fortunate members of the same community who share a common facade. In short, Jane Brady gives a crash course about how to become a good person in high school.

While the author continues her pitch about the rising problems of today, younger readers of Jane Brady’s novel may wonder about their particular application given today’s digital age. The author’s use of Amy Kant in the life of Jewel Hart denotes the emerging problems of mental health and their effects on families and friends. And while nothing replaces the emotional anguish of teenagers, the methods today are ever constant and even more vicious, as misinformation over social media can turn colors instantaneously. For example, younger readers may be interested in the online presence of Jewel Hart interacting with Amy Kant and Lexi Clark, where a person’s virtual life becomes as valuable (if not more equal) as their physical lives. It would be particularly interesting how the author would detail the reactions of characters, given those attacks are not physical (albeit visceral by the author) but every bit deadly.

Overall, the author reiterates an emphasis on the community’s treasured possession. “Cascading Petals” is a telling novel about the problems of high school that are ignored by students, parents and teachers. While there are some who share more of the responsibilities, the author places equal focus on all players to prepare the next generation for the life ahead.

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Cascading Petals” by Jane C. Brady is a novel about a nice young lady named Jewel that has been bullied in school. Despite the cruelty of her peers, she still remains a sweet person. No matter what, though, she just doesn’t feel as if she has ever belonged. That’s when the new boy Kaiden comes along. Jewel really likes Kaiden, but feels something isn’t quite right. Add to that the rising suicides at her school and the heartbreak of these tragedies, she leans on Kaiden. After one too many incidents, she starts to feel as though there is no hope for the future.

Bullying is really something I think almost every single one of us can identify with. I think we have all been in this girls shoes, feeling as though you just don’t fit in and that sometimes things are frustratingly out of your control. Bullies aren’t just teenagers, as this novel shows. Sometimes teachers are just as guilty and bullying isn’t always obvious, though the trauma from it can be.

Here you get to see different perspectives in the story, the author did a great job of giving each character their own voice and personality. Each person has their own inner voice and wording which made it fairly fun to read and easy to track what perspective you are reading from.

I think my favorite thing about this book is the fact that Jewel isn’t the stereotypical person to get bullied. She’s described as smart and pretty, which most don’t assume are characteristics of someone who would get bullied. Reality is, almost anyone can be a victim of bullying at any age. While I do find it a bit hard to believe she was bullied even in her first years of school, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. This can sometimes happen, although it isn’t quite as often.

“Cascading Petals” by Jane C. Brady is a story all teens, parents and high school faculty should read. It gives a very realistic portrayal of what bullying really looks like and its effects. There are far too many children of ALL ages that are resorting to suicide, feeling that it’s the only way to escape the torment of their lives. Maybe this book could help them see how important it is to be mindful of interactions with others.

The personal growth of Jewel in the story was really great. I really enjoyed reading as she would learn and really put herself in another's shoes. This character building was awesome. I would give “Cascading Petals” by Jane C. Brady 5 stars. It was a very emotional read, and I found myself a little teary eyed at points. I have told my two teenage daughters that they really should read this book as well. While they have their own experiences, so far theirs haven’t been quite as bad as those in the book. I think that by reading about someone else's story they may be a bit more capable of handling it if they do find themselves in a similar situation.

[Ariel Hess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: A copy of this novel was given to me in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions in this review are solely my own and do not reflect the views of the author. Thank you so much to the author for providing me with a copy of this book.

I finished this book in one evening, devouring the entire read. The title does not do this book justice, but I understood the reasoning behind the title once I dived more into the novel. I liked the development of the main character Jewel. The book does focus on the challenges faced by a group of high school students, one being Jewel. Jewel faces many hardships during her entire academic career. She seems to be the target of all bullying with no reason in site behind the harassment. She has the support of her mom, dad, brother, and younger sister. It is the start of the new school year, and Jewel has caught the eye of the new student, Kaiden. Kaiden's character developed throughout the novel becoming a critical component in Jewel's life from the moment they met. I loved the connection between these two characters, the background story on Lexi, and the drama.

Overall this is a great book. I wanted to know more about Kaiden and the relationship he had with his father. I wanted the book to be longer and more information to be provided in the book, which is why I only gave this book a four-star rating. There was a lot of turmoil regarding the challenges Jewel faced. There was a lot of drama in this book. I loved the ending. I had that warm and fuzzy feeling at the end of the novel. I am going to be honest, there were two parts in the book that made me cry. I cried when Amy died and when Kaiden got hit by the car. I was so happy that Amy finally stood up for herself against Lexi and decided to join Jewels and her friends. I was excited that Amy developed a relationship with Finn, especially with her background of losing her parents. Amy had a hard upbringing. She deserved that new car on her birthday from her adoptive parents, and I was so upset when Lexi ruined it. A person can only take so much before they snap. Also,when Mr. Pepper resigned, I did a high five in the air. I still did not understand why everyone hated Jewel's so much and what was the deal with her brother. I kept getting a hint that maybe he wasn't that into girls or that he was extremely secretive. I cried like a baby in my bed last night reading this book. This novel does shed light on the harsh reality of bullying and that sometimes telling an adult doesn't necessarily mean that things will change.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in reading a young adult romance novel that focuses on bullying, building relationships, and the importance of quality friendships.

[Brigitte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cascading Petals revolves around the unfortunate, but common factor of bullying. The bullies tend to pick on easy targets to cover up for their own inadequacies. It's a dark and thought provoking story.

Jewel appears to have it all. A good home and a loving family, but she has been a victim of bullying for most of her life. She is a loner and it's an effort for her to cope outside of her homelife on a daily basis.

Kaiden is the new kid in town. He is easy going even though he is having his own battle with life.

Something about Jewels draws Kaiden to her and they soon become friends. When he witnesses Jewel's nemesis, Lexi picking on her, he is none too happy, but in some ways, this consolidates their frienship. Lexi is vicious and calculated. Her two friends Jess and Amy support her in her cruelty until Amy comes to her senses and gets away from her. She hates the idea that despite her wicked efforts, Jewels has found friends in Kaiden, Finn and Amy. Her hatred intensifies and Amy becomes a target. No matter what they do, Lexi seems to revel in tormenting them.

Jewel shows her strength by just coping with the constant pressure. Kaiden is supportive and becomes her rock whereas the blossoming friendship with Finn and Amy is just what she needs. They get along well and draw strength from each other and when everything is going well for them, Lexi strikes and tragedy follows, bringing more pain and despair. It doesn’t stop there though! Can they overcome these traumatic experiences?

This story raises a lot of questions. The school system doesn't do much to address the issues. Some teachers blatantly inflict their own injustice by disregarding what's going on right in front of their noses.

Lexi has been coping with her own family issues, but that doesn't give her carte blanche to demean others to make her look good. The more I read the story, the more questions came to mind. Why doesn't Jewel's family who themselves work in the legal field take more robust actions? Why don't the authorities take more notice of the results of the bullying? Quite a few other questions come to mind.

This story reflects the effects of bullying and the scars they leave on the victims. Despite, the tension in the main storyline, there is some laughter and true friendship. What transpires towards the end is shocking, but the conclusion brings hope. It's an enlightening read which would appeal to readers of all ages.

I was kindly issued with an eARC and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

[Tia Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written from different points-of-view and showing each aspect of bullying, from the inner-dialog to the fatal repercussions, ‘Cascading Petals’ is a satisfyingly touching read that has heart as well as depth. The story surrounds the life of Jewel Hart, a senior at York Mills High School who desperately wishes for genuine friendship and to simply fit in. Although her home life is loving, she’s faced with bullying at school, particularly by the hand of her long-time tormentor, Lexi.

Fortunately, Jewel’s want for companionship is fulfilled when she gets acquainted with a new student, Kaiden Carter. As their friendship grows, Jewel tries hard to build her inner-strength and self-esteem while dealing with the bullying. Throughout the story, the reader gets an in-depth look at depression, teen suicide, and the underlying, deep-rooted issues behind bullying.

Something unique about ‘Cascading Petals’ is that we also get to see life through the eyes of Jewel’s bullies as well as Kaiden’s. Seeing how much Kaiden adores her versus how she views herself was such an awesome perspective because it’s so relatable. If we all knew how others really see us, we would see ourselves in a brighter light and vice versa.

The author Jane C. Brady did a great job crafting each character’s personality with such depth and duality. I could feel the humbleness from Jewel, the warmth from her mother, the quiet allegiance from her brother, the conflicted but loving spirit of Kaiden. The story was definitely written with a sense of realness and wonderment that indeed pulled at my heartstrings more times than I would like to admit. Absolutely good read.

Overall, ‘Cascading Petals’ was an emotional one for me but it was also very fulfilling and so vividly descriptive that it felt like I was watching a movie which is exactly how I like my fiction! I feel like this is a must-read for not only teens who may be experiencing or witnessing bullying but also for parents who would like to take a deeper look into how traumatizing the act really is.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kaiden Carter welcomed Jewel Hart (Sr., middle daughter/sister) to her 1st. day at York Mills HS.
Mrs. Barker was her English teacher.
Lexi Clark was Ms. Popular. Jessica “Jess” & Ariel made up her entourage.
Chad Palmer (Lexi’s BF) & Eric Jackson were on the HS swim team.
Kaiden & Jewell were becoming quite close. He took her to meet his mother Natalie Carter.

What did Mrs. Natalia Hart (Italian, wife/mother) go see Mr. Pepper about?
What happened to Amy (classmate)?
Fast forward it was prom time.
Amore Designer Dresses. Madam Amelie was helping size Jewel for her dress.
What happened to Kaiden?
Its graduation & time to move on in their lives.

As a retired school social worker there is nothing in this book I did not deal with.
Not sure how lenient the HS book reviewers are but this is a fantastic book for struggling teens.
Which that said is pretty much all of them whether they want to admit it or not.

Warning: This book is for older HS age only & contains bullying or profanity &/or sexually explicit scenarios. It may be offensive to some readers.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. Wow, a very well written HS age book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great HS age school movie, or better yet a mini TV series. Not for the faint of heart. A very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Making Connections discussion group talk; Hunston Press Inc.; Autographed; paperback book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Monique G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cascading Petals by Jane C Brady, follows the life Jewel Hart, a pretty, intelligent American teen in her last year of High School. Having been bullied throughout her entire school years, she is dreading the first day of her final school year. Although she has suffered for years at the hands of bullies, she allows herself to hope her last year will be different. Cascading Petals is an emotional journey of pain, love, and self-awareness. It highlights the severe impact bullying can have on others; but also the circumstances that can sometimes lead to teenagers becoming bullies.
Jewel is your average American teenager. She is pretty, intelligent and lives with her older brother Miles, her younger sister Ellie and her parents. Jewel lives in suburbia, drives to school, and takes regular horse riding lessons. She is helpful around the house, and takes responsibility for collecting her sister every day after school and has a strong friendship and respect for her brother.
In complete contrast to her happy home life, Jewel is miserable at school. She has been targeted by bullies her entire school career; physically and emotionally. Cascading Petals tells the painful story of her final year of school. We share her fears, her sorrows and her joy has she begins to develop relationships she had only dreamed of. We also see the tragic and widespread impact of bullying. Conversely, the reader also gets an insight from the point of view of the people bullying her, and the possible reasons that contribute to their dreadful treatment of others. The book explores the idea of self-awareness, and developing an inner strength to allow yourself to stand up to others and not become, or remain, a victim.
Cascading Petals is an engaging and thought provoking novel. It takes the reader on an emotional journey that bounces back between times of sorrow and joy, just as teenagers experience in real life.

[Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cascading Petals is about Jewel Hart, a young woman who is about to enter her senior year of high school. Her life appears to be perfect. She is smart and kind with a loving family. But Jewel has been bullied since she was in kindergarten which has left her with no friends. She wants to believe her senior year will be different but with no self-esteem left she can’t imagine how. This is when new student Kaiden Carter walks into her life. Her quickly becomes her friend and the two bring together their own gang of misfits. But just as things are looking up tragedy strikes.
Author Jane C. Brady has created a story that is powerful and beautiful. She addresses the horrifying problem of bullying within schools in an honest way. This story looks at not just the stereotypes of the mean students but also acknowledges that sometimes the bullying comes from teachers or that the students who bully are dealing with neglectful or abusive parents. Brady writes this story looking through the eyes of multiple characters, showing the reader that there is more than one side to any story. Jewel herself is an incredibly sympathetic character. She is someone that has tried and can’t understand why she is being targeted. Many people make it out of middle school and high school with their own experiences of being bullied and Brady captures those feelings within Jewel’s character.
While dealing with the painful subject of bullying Brady was able to write a beautiful and powerful story. Her writing and character depth truly bring this story to life. This is a story of growing up, finding inner strength, friendship, hardship, and love. If you are triggered by bullying and suicide you should not read this story. I would definitely recommend this book as a unique and important look on the struggles of young adults.

[Brittany Almeida · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gets 5 stars and is a great read.

Did you have an amazing childhood? Or were you bullied throughout school? This book brings awareness to the many issues teenagers go through during their high school years. You get to view many of the teens lives through the book as you go on this emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. It makes you think of your past and how things effected you, and made you the person you are today. Bullying can lead to many issues such as low self esteem, depression, drug issues as well as suicide.

Cascading Petals by Jane C. Bradley takes place in Toronto, Canada. In the opening chapter you get to meet Jewel and her family. You can already get the feel of the blah mood she was in and the rollercoaster emotions that soon begin. She was a loner and didn’t have any friends or support from her teachers. You get introduced to her bullies fairly quickly and they are brutal. I was surprised how much the book brought out emotions in me. I growled, laughed and cried throughout this amazing book.

You get to watch Jewel grow throughout the book as well as her new sidekick companions, Kaiden, Finn and Amy. You watch their friendship blossom and you continue to cheer them on as they battle the bullies. The romance between Jewel and Kaiden grow as the two spend more time together which makes you happy that Jewel is happy. My emotions always get tied into the characters of a good book, and this will stay with me for awhile. I will reread Cascading Petals many times. It may be a sad book at some points, but the overall message is clear. Do you chose to live? If you had to reread that question, you should read this book. This is also a good read for teens and up.

[Danielle Arpon · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Cascading Petals" is a touching story about a teenager in Canada entering her senior year of high school desperately hoping for a significant change: the chance to fit in. Jewel is an extraordinary girl who has been tormented for years by her ex-friend and her band of followers. When it seems as though it will be just another typical year, she gains the attention of a newcomer named Kaiden Carter. Together Kaiden and Jewel battle what it's like to hide the deep scars that bullying can cause and learn to find the strength to stand up for what they believe in.

Overall, I loved the message and theme of this book. It takes a look at the deep issues that are plaguing schools not only in Canada but in schools across many nations. You really start to root Jewel and Kaiden because they have the best intentions and don't ask for anything other than a simple life. I think that the author Jane C. Brady has a great heart and you can feel the compassion she has for the underdog teenagers. What is really interesting is the way the story is told. The book switches between characters so we can get their perspective and get an understanding of what they're going through. This was a great idea in theory, but it did get a little confusing at times when each character's perspectives are in the first person but then sometimes it gets switched to the third person. It was distracting at times because you had to go back and figure out who is actually speaking. I love that this book isn't afraid to analyze and talk about bullying, domestic abuse, addiction, and teen suicide. Brady graciously brings awareness to the reader to have sympathy and empathy towards those in all walks of life as you never know what is really going on under the surface.