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Bully Boy
After years of harassment and humiliation in school, a lonely student now must change his life quickly or lose his sanity. He devises a plan that forces him to confront his fears and anxiety in order to defeat his enemies in school - not just the kids, but the adults who knew what was happening and did nothing to stop it. Bully Boy is a riveting teen novel of growing courage, revenge and final redemption.
282 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2021
18 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 21, 2023
Gods, I hated this book. First, I promised myself I would only read books with queer story content this year & this was recommended. It does not have a queer main character, and the LGBTQIA+ content in it is just sad. There are some interesting things in it but the main character is a broken kid with no support. The story isn't believable and is, ultimately, just sad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2024
Very good.
This was a very good and enlightening book. Should be read by everyone, especially teachers and administrators. I loved the writing, and I am waiting anxiously for more by this author.
This was a very good and enlightening book. Should be read by everyone, especially teachers and administrators. I loved the writing, and I am waiting anxiously for more by this author.
May 30, 2024
the book was well written, but the MC made me mad with a lot of his decisions
June 14, 2022
So, this book is technically flawed, ultimately unsatisfying and doesn’t really go in any direction near where you are hoping it will go – and you know what? I loved every minute of it! Tom’s book is great. With its tangible air of menace permeating throughout, simmering below the surface from very early on, it is safe to say that you spend much of it in nailbiting suspense, just wondering where bullied Henry is taking all of this. And the author knows this. Furthermore, he fosters and relishes in it, even dropping a big red herring of a clue about midway through. But in the end Tom is more intelligent than that; he doesn’t need populist sensationalism or shock value to tell his story. Sure, Henry is an angry boy, but he is also a boy with a brain, and a profound sense of right or wrong – so whatever lengths you are worried he is going to go to, you never need worry too much about the righteousness of his actions.
And there is something undeniably righteous about this book, and the story behind it. I don’t know if the author was a victim of the soul-destroying bullying that Henry is subjected to, but I suspect so. In this case, Henry’s tale becomes a fantasy of wishful thinking, when he is pushed too far and retaliates using every resource at his disposal – though most prominently, his brain and his will to fight. And retaliate he does, against the bullies, against the school, against the very system which enables and condones his bullying. His retaliation may not really be disproportionate, and it may be cathartic, but in many ways it is clearly unhealthy for his own state of mind. The teachers, his parents and even his friends know this, but Henry is single-minded in his fury, and he will browbeat anyone who gets in his way. His obsession becomes pathological, and it is difficult not to fear for the future of him or anybody who crosses him.
Wade has created something of an antihero in the making – maybe not now, but certainly later in life; you can’t help wondering what he will have become should you visit Henry at a later date. Whilst initially rooting for him, you might very quickly find yourself wanting to shut him up – we all knew a kid in class like Henry becomes: obstructive, arrogant and annoying. His campaign against the bullies becomes an infuriatingly haughty and imperious one, his manner equally so, though this is utterly forgivable simply because of the fact that the adults are equally infuriating and characteristically obtuse, complacent or simply inept – again, we all know of these types of professional: feigned ignorance for a quiet life, rather than doing good in their job, and creating victims of their dependants. The fact that literally every single adult in this book is like them perhaps labours the point a little, and Henry’s power over them, as well as his story arc, does perhaps become a touch far-fetched – but then again, why not? It’s Tom’s fantasy.
A great book, which technically improved could have earnt a well-deserved five stars and is highly recommended. The lack of chapters was a bit of a problem for me, and I don’t know why Tom opted to exclude them, but you certainly shouldn’t let that put you off – just make sure to use a bookmark.
And there is something undeniably righteous about this book, and the story behind it. I don’t know if the author was a victim of the soul-destroying bullying that Henry is subjected to, but I suspect so. In this case, Henry’s tale becomes a fantasy of wishful thinking, when he is pushed too far and retaliates using every resource at his disposal – though most prominently, his brain and his will to fight. And retaliate he does, against the bullies, against the school, against the very system which enables and condones his bullying. His retaliation may not really be disproportionate, and it may be cathartic, but in many ways it is clearly unhealthy for his own state of mind. The teachers, his parents and even his friends know this, but Henry is single-minded in his fury, and he will browbeat anyone who gets in his way. His obsession becomes pathological, and it is difficult not to fear for the future of him or anybody who crosses him.
Wade has created something of an antihero in the making – maybe not now, but certainly later in life; you can’t help wondering what he will have become should you visit Henry at a later date. Whilst initially rooting for him, you might very quickly find yourself wanting to shut him up – we all knew a kid in class like Henry becomes: obstructive, arrogant and annoying. His campaign against the bullies becomes an infuriatingly haughty and imperious one, his manner equally so, though this is utterly forgivable simply because of the fact that the adults are equally infuriating and characteristically obtuse, complacent or simply inept – again, we all know of these types of professional: feigned ignorance for a quiet life, rather than doing good in their job, and creating victims of their dependants. The fact that literally every single adult in this book is like them perhaps labours the point a little, and Henry’s power over them, as well as his story arc, does perhaps become a touch far-fetched – but then again, why not? It’s Tom’s fantasy.
A great book, which technically improved could have earnt a well-deserved five stars and is highly recommended. The lack of chapters was a bit of a problem for me, and I don’t know why Tom opted to exclude them, but you certainly shouldn’t let that put you off – just make sure to use a bookmark.
July 11, 2022
From the very first pages of this thought-provoking young-adult novel author Tom Wade paints a vivid picture of a teenage boy cowed and made miserable by groups of bullies who have victimized him for years. From the first day of the school year, 15-year-old Henry struggles against a system that is determined to keep him down. He gathers the courage to stand up to his oppressors and find retribution, but at a high price to himself. In the end he must make the pivotal decision about his own future — take the ultimate peace that his friends chose or continue to fight.
Henry might be terrorized by bullies, but he has had enough. He begins to stand up to the kids who are violent and abusive as well as to the apathetic adults who are shockingly willing to turn a blind eye. These scenes are heart wrenching but feel authentic. He is a smart kid, and he knows exactly how to push everyone’s buttons, and I enjoyed how sharp his character is. Gradually, readers see Henry change from one of the “meeks” to the biggest bully of them all. He provokes fights to prove his point and he browbeats his teachers into taking action. His character evolution is compelling and makes for an engaging read.
Throughout this enthralling coming of age tale is a simmering undercurrent of menace that will have readers on the edge of their seat. Has the system that failed him created a monster? And, if so, just how big a monster? On more than one occasion, Henry’s musings imply that he has been pushed too far and, just like his nervous teachers, readers wonder if he is going to produce the gun he knows is kept in his father’s desk. The dialogue is another real strength of this book and is used to great effect to both tell the story and build character.
Bully Boy by Tom Wade is an eye opening read that explores contemporary issues in schools with a captivating main character. If you enjoy gripping teen fiction novels that have something important to say, then this is a book you must pickup.
Henry might be terrorized by bullies, but he has had enough. He begins to stand up to the kids who are violent and abusive as well as to the apathetic adults who are shockingly willing to turn a blind eye. These scenes are heart wrenching but feel authentic. He is a smart kid, and he knows exactly how to push everyone’s buttons, and I enjoyed how sharp his character is. Gradually, readers see Henry change from one of the “meeks” to the biggest bully of them all. He provokes fights to prove his point and he browbeats his teachers into taking action. His character evolution is compelling and makes for an engaging read.
Throughout this enthralling coming of age tale is a simmering undercurrent of menace that will have readers on the edge of their seat. Has the system that failed him created a monster? And, if so, just how big a monster? On more than one occasion, Henry’s musings imply that he has been pushed too far and, just like his nervous teachers, readers wonder if he is going to produce the gun he knows is kept in his father’s desk. The dialogue is another real strength of this book and is used to great effect to both tell the story and build character.
Bully Boy by Tom Wade is an eye opening read that explores contemporary issues in schools with a captivating main character. If you enjoy gripping teen fiction novels that have something important to say, then this is a book you must pickup.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews