Memphis Reads Archive

Fiction/Young Adult

Andrea reviews BITTER END by Jennifer Brown (Little Brown, 2011)

Alexandra (Alex) Bradford is feeling neglected. When Alex was young, her mother died in a horrible car accident and her dad emotionally checked out when his wife died. Sure, Alex’s best friends, Bethany and Zack, have always been there for her, but she wants someone to love and call her boyfriend.

Enter new student, 18-year-old Cole Cozen. When Alex is asked to tutor him, she is curious as to why he has transferred high schools their senior year. It seems like Cole is a terrific athlete, because of his letter jacket, so why did he switch schools? Alex also notices how attractive Cole is, so his evasive answers don’t really faze her. The closer Alex and Cole become, the less Zack and Bethany are around. Her two best friends are always telling her to be careful and not trust Cole so much.

Alex doesn’t understand why they don’t like Cole. He only pushed her and called her a slut because his parents were stressing him out. He only hit her in the face because she didn’t come to his basketball practice on time. Cole is upset the basketball team lost, so it’s no wonder he threw her down so hard, chipping her tooth and bloodying her face. As frequently as he hurts Alex, Cole is always there to apologize and tell her it will never happen again.

This was a difficult book to read due to the subject of abuse, but the author’s style of writing allowed me to finish the book in two days. I have been where Alex is. Reading about her angry, jealous, abusive boyfriend was not easy, to say the least.

Like Alex, I went from victim to survivor. This young adult novel by Jennifer Brown is a tough one to swallow, but it does give the readers hope. Concluding her story with appendices of hotlines and facts about abuse was excellent because, unfortunately, someone will need that information. This is a well-written novel for teenagers and adults alike.

Andrea King, Poplar-White Station Library

Labels: Fiction, Reviews by Andrea King, Young Adult