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I Swear
Who’s to blame when bullying leads to suicide? A gripping exploration of crucial importance seeks answers in and out of the courtroom.
After years of abuse from her classmates, Leslie Gatlin decided she had no other options and took her own life. Now her abusers are dealing with the fallout.
When Leslie's parents file a wrongful death lawsuit against their daughter's tormenters, the proceedings uncover the systematic cyber bullying and harassment that occurred. The ringleader of the accused girls, Macie, maintains they are innocent. In her mind, Leslie chose be the coward they always knew she was.
Jillian, Katherine, and Beth try to keep their stories straight and shift the blame, as Jake, Leslie's only true friend, tries to make sense of what happened. As the events leading up to her death unfold, it becomes clear that Leslie may have taken her own life, but her bullies took everything else.
Told in alternating perspectives and through well-paced flashbacks, this timely novel sheds light on both the victims of bullying and the consequences bullies face.
After years of abuse from her classmates, Leslie Gatlin decided she had no other options and took her own life. Now her abusers are dealing with the fallout.
When Leslie's parents file a wrongful death lawsuit against their daughter's tormenters, the proceedings uncover the systematic cyber bullying and harassment that occurred. The ringleader of the accused girls, Macie, maintains they are innocent. In her mind, Leslie chose be the coward they always knew she was.
Jillian, Katherine, and Beth try to keep their stories straight and shift the blame, as Jake, Leslie's only true friend, tries to make sense of what happened. As the events leading up to her death unfold, it becomes clear that Leslie may have taken her own life, but her bullies took everything else.
Told in alternating perspectives and through well-paced flashbacks, this timely novel sheds light on both the victims of bullying and the consequences bullies face.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 4, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 281 reviews
October 22, 2013
This book mostly just made me sad. And angry.
I read most of it in one sitting, I didn't want to put it down, it was that good. The power of bullying has become so relevant now, brings the whole mean girl thing up a few notches. Back when I went to school you had your in crowd and your outcasts but this was on a whole new level of nasty. For no reason at all, other than Macie thinking the boy who likes Leslie should like her instead, macie's mission had been to make Leslie's life hell and for everyone around them who doesn't want to macie's next target, they all fall in line contributing to the bullying of Leslie until that last betrayal that results in her killing herself. It tugged at my heart how she must have felt going to school day after day to be treated like crap, your friends have all turned on you and how she felt reading all the Facebook messages and texts day after day. I was so angry at all the girls for their part, and their part at trying to figure out how to get out of the mess they were in and initially denying their blame for her death. I felt so bad, trying to imagine how Leslie felt when she received that final email from the only remaining person who she thought didn't hate her. And how Jake felt when he realized the final step that made her kill herself, the betrayal she thought came from him and how angry he must have been when he found out his twin had a part in that. The whole instance forever would change all of these kids except maybe Macie who would likely go on destroying lives cuz that's who she was. At least the other girls pretty much clued in to their part in the tragedy, macie just didn't take any ownership in any of it. I kept wondering what power she had that everyone would just do what she wanted them to do. She was pretty clever in never actually doing any of the dirty work herself except the final act, everything else was done by everyone else, people who didn't want to cross Macie, and wanted to be the one most favoured by her and definitely not wanting to cross her so they become the next Leslie.
There are so many cases of this type of thing happening now and that people can be held responsible for bullying and the results of it. I was angry that Macie would really get away with all she had done. I was shocked at Leslie's parents who were bought off by macie's father to not pursue the criminal case when in reality that isn't the case. Macie's parents could drop the civil suit and that would be over but if the district attorney pursues criminal charges it doesn't matter what macies parents would want, they have no say in whether or not a criminal charge would be pursued. If the district attorney wanted to charge Macie, which he did, and they had enough witnesses and evidence, which they did, a criminal case could be pursued, macie's parents couldn't prevent that. Nonetheless I was really angry they sold out, to me it was just another person that failed Leslie.
I would love to see this book come out on film and be shown to kids in school. This problem is becoming worse and worse. So many kids doing the bullying just don't realize how wrong it is, how it scars people for the rest of their lives and what devestation can result. As hard as it was to read, this book was fantastic and I look forward to more books by this author.
I read most of it in one sitting, I didn't want to put it down, it was that good. The power of bullying has become so relevant now, brings the whole mean girl thing up a few notches. Back when I went to school you had your in crowd and your outcasts but this was on a whole new level of nasty. For no reason at all, other than Macie thinking the boy who likes Leslie should like her instead, macie's mission had been to make Leslie's life hell and for everyone around them who doesn't want to macie's next target, they all fall in line contributing to the bullying of Leslie until that last betrayal that results in her killing herself. It tugged at my heart how she must have felt going to school day after day to be treated like crap, your friends have all turned on you and how she felt reading all the Facebook messages and texts day after day. I was so angry at all the girls for their part, and their part at trying to figure out how to get out of the mess they were in and initially denying their blame for her death. I felt so bad, trying to imagine how Leslie felt when she received that final email from the only remaining person who she thought didn't hate her. And how Jake felt when he realized the final step that made her kill herself, the betrayal she thought came from him and how angry he must have been when he found out his twin had a part in that. The whole instance forever would change all of these kids except maybe Macie who would likely go on destroying lives cuz that's who she was. At least the other girls pretty much clued in to their part in the tragedy, macie just didn't take any ownership in any of it. I kept wondering what power she had that everyone would just do what she wanted them to do. She was pretty clever in never actually doing any of the dirty work herself except the final act, everything else was done by everyone else, people who didn't want to cross Macie, and wanted to be the one most favoured by her and definitely not wanting to cross her so they become the next Leslie.
There are so many cases of this type of thing happening now and that people can be held responsible for bullying and the results of it. I was angry that Macie would really get away with all she had done. I was shocked at Leslie's parents who were bought off by macie's father to not pursue the criminal case when in reality that isn't the case. Macie's parents could drop the civil suit and that would be over but if the district attorney pursues criminal charges it doesn't matter what macies parents would want, they have no say in whether or not a criminal charge would be pursued. If the district attorney wanted to charge Macie, which he did, and they had enough witnesses and evidence, which they did, a criminal case could be pursued, macie's parents couldn't prevent that. Nonetheless I was really angry they sold out, to me it was just another person that failed Leslie.
I would love to see this book come out on film and be shown to kids in school. This problem is becoming worse and worse. So many kids doing the bullying just don't realize how wrong it is, how it scars people for the rest of their lives and what devestation can result. As hard as it was to read, this book was fantastic and I look forward to more books by this author.
June 11, 2021
My review for this got deleted at some point so god knows what I said about this. I believe my general thoughts were that the novel as a whole leans too hard into high school cliches; I read this right after another book about being bullied to suicide, one also from the perspective of the bully, and I'd enjoyed the solid character arc of that one. Five points of view is a lot for a 300-page book, and I think the coherency suffered here.
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October 14, 2012
The good news: this book presents an earthy, honest, and revealing look into cyberbullying. It is such an important topic to publicize right now, as it has become an epidemic in schools, including the ones I teach at. Davis creates stunning characters that show why bullies act as they do, and what happens when they go too far.
The bad news: sorry, bullied teens looking for help after identifying with Leslie--Ms. Davis offers you no further assistance. No government sites, no contact info, absolutely nothing in terms of "for more information about bullying and suicide prevention." You dropped the ball, Davis; consider this strongly in the paperback edition or later releases--you could save a life.
The ugly news: why, oh why, for the love of all things why, would you create a character that is a minority and stoop to stereotypes? Katherine is smart, pre-law, gorgeous, and black. That made me dance--I love when my black students are given a role model in YA books. Then...she talks. They're in Washington, so why did she have to be from Georgia? She didn't sound Southern, she sounded like a hick. The stupid phrases like "a possum eatin briars", the shortened words...seriously! The girl is the child of a lawyer, she could have spoken properly! And why couldn't she be from Washington? Is it so hard to write a respectable black character? There are so so many examples in real life...model your characters to reflect diversity positively!
The bad news: sorry, bullied teens looking for help after identifying with Leslie--Ms. Davis offers you no further assistance. No government sites, no contact info, absolutely nothing in terms of "for more information about bullying and suicide prevention." You dropped the ball, Davis; consider this strongly in the paperback edition or later releases--you could save a life.
The ugly news: why, oh why, for the love of all things why, would you create a character that is a minority and stoop to stereotypes? Katherine is smart, pre-law, gorgeous, and black. That made me dance--I love when my black students are given a role model in YA books. Then...she talks. They're in Washington, so why did she have to be from Georgia? She didn't sound Southern, she sounded like a hick. The stupid phrases like "a possum eatin briars", the shortened words...seriously! The girl is the child of a lawyer, she could have spoken properly! And why couldn't she be from Washington? Is it so hard to write a respectable black character? There are so so many examples in real life...model your characters to reflect diversity positively!
July 16, 2013
I skimmed this book, and found two glaring typos. Just from skimming!
p. 153: "I mean, you're little choppy pixie cut is so dykadelish."
Really? "You are little choppy pixie cut is so dykadelish?"
p. 272: "Who does that? Let's you borrow a spade?"
" Let us you borrow a spade?"
C'monnnnnn! Is copy editing even a thing anymore?
I can't say much for the story--it's a multi-perspective teen novel about bullying, so it's timely if nothing else--but the bad guy (girl, in this case) is a freaking sociopath and everyone else is a spineless piece of crap. I'm surprised anyone had the patience to actually read the whole thing.
p. 153: "I mean, you're little choppy pixie cut is so dykadelish."
Really? "You are little choppy pixie cut is so dykadelish?"
p. 272: "Who does that? Let's you borrow a spade?"
" Let us you borrow a spade?"
C'monnnnnn! Is copy editing even a thing anymore?
I can't say much for the story--it's a multi-perspective teen novel about bullying, so it's timely if nothing else--but the bad guy (girl, in this case) is a freaking sociopath and everyone else is a spineless piece of crap. I'm surprised anyone had the patience to actually read the whole thing.
April 19, 2012
One word: UH-Mazing.
Leslie, a senior in high school, commits suicide for reasons that become apparent throughout the book. The story is told in alternate points of view by the high school kids that bullied Leslie and one who simply loved her. You'll read about the trial and the memories of Leslie by each student involved; you'll learn about their fears, their anguish and the emotions that are left behind after an act like this has been committed. Lane describes every point of view imaginable: why Leslie took her life, why her "friends" bullied her, why people considered her selfish for taking her life and you'll gain an understanding for all parties involved.
I was instantly hooked from page one and was crying by the last page. Bullying and teen suicide have unfortunately become worse in the past few years and I hope that a story like this can help make someone reconsider bullying or simply help someone who is being bullied. I Swear is an absolutely heart wrenching, relatable story and should be a mandatory read for any high school student. You learn what it's like to bully someone, what it's like to be bullied or witness someone being bullied and how it is ok to speak up and what can happen if you don't.
If you or someone you know is considering reading this book, bring it to the top of your pile; I promise you will be glad you did.
Thank you Lane for writing such a beautiful and heartfelt story
Leslie, a senior in high school, commits suicide for reasons that become apparent throughout the book. The story is told in alternate points of view by the high school kids that bullied Leslie and one who simply loved her. You'll read about the trial and the memories of Leslie by each student involved; you'll learn about their fears, their anguish and the emotions that are left behind after an act like this has been committed. Lane describes every point of view imaginable: why Leslie took her life, why her "friends" bullied her, why people considered her selfish for taking her life and you'll gain an understanding for all parties involved.
I was instantly hooked from page one and was crying by the last page. Bullying and teen suicide have unfortunately become worse in the past few years and I hope that a story like this can help make someone reconsider bullying or simply help someone who is being bullied. I Swear is an absolutely heart wrenching, relatable story and should be a mandatory read for any high school student. You learn what it's like to bully someone, what it's like to be bullied or witness someone being bullied and how it is ok to speak up and what can happen if you don't.
If you or someone you know is considering reading this book, bring it to the top of your pile; I promise you will be glad you did.
Thank you Lane for writing such a beautiful and heartfelt story
June 26, 2012
Surprisingly excellent, with unobtrusive and well-written multiple POVs. Review to come.
February 14, 2016
I still have no clue what to rate this. A 3? A 2? Or a 4? I will just go for a 3.
This book was in a few words, confusing, felt like it dragged and had one very very "Gah, I want to strangle her"-person.
Why confusing? Because you got about 4 or 5 POVs. And most are only about 2 or 3 pages long, some longer, but mostly it is like this: Ah this is about *insert name*, who was that again, ah she was this and that, and bang 2 pages later, next person and process resets again.
I also was sad that we didn't get Macie's point of view, while she was a totally boss-bitch (sorry for that), I would have loved to find more behind that character, why she is so mean, what happened to her, was she always like this?
And then we have Leslie, who took her own life after (from what I could see) 3 years of bullying. From whispers, to full blown attacks on her. I was so sad for her. She did nothing wrong, only one thing, she likes a guy (though like she said, as a brother) and gets in the wrong way of the popular girl because of that. So sad, that no one, no one ever helped her, no one ever reached out. They all say she should have done that, but I can imagine, after 3 years of bullying, 3 years of hearing you are worthless, that something just breaks, something just leaves you and you become numb, you don't want to try any more.
All those girls... they all acted friendly towards her, then dropped her hard, so hard. For various reasons which I won't spoil, but let's just say, they are petty and foolish.
I don't think I have a favourite character in this book. Maybe Jake, though I also feel like he could have done more. He never did anything, didn't notice for most part how bad it was, though expected that Leslie would come to him, would seek help with him.
The trial part was disappointing, I won't spoil anything but yeah, I expected better.
I am glad I am done with this book. I would still recommend it to people who don't mind all those things I just mentioned.
This book was in a few words, confusing, felt like it dragged and had one very very "Gah, I want to strangle her"-person.
Why confusing? Because you got about 4 or 5 POVs. And most are only about 2 or 3 pages long, some longer, but mostly it is like this: Ah this is about *insert name*, who was that again, ah she was this and that, and bang 2 pages later, next person and process resets again.
I also was sad that we didn't get Macie's point of view, while she was a totally boss-bitch (sorry for that), I would have loved to find more behind that character, why she is so mean, what happened to her, was she always like this?
And then we have Leslie, who took her own life after (from what I could see) 3 years of bullying. From whispers, to full blown attacks on her. I was so sad for her. She did nothing wrong, only one thing, she likes a guy (though like she said, as a brother) and gets in the wrong way of the popular girl because of that. So sad, that no one, no one ever helped her, no one ever reached out. They all say she should have done that, but I can imagine, after 3 years of bullying, 3 years of hearing you are worthless, that something just breaks, something just leaves you and you become numb, you don't want to try any more.
All those girls... they all acted friendly towards her, then dropped her hard, so hard. For various reasons which I won't spoil, but let's just say, they are petty and foolish.
I don't think I have a favourite character in this book. Maybe Jake, though I also feel like he could have done more. He never did anything, didn't notice for most part how bad it was, though expected that Leslie would come to him, would seek help with him.
The trial part was disappointing, I won't spoil anything but yeah, I expected better.
I am glad I am done with this book. I would still recommend it to people who don't mind all those things I just mentioned.
March 6, 2014
I really loved the way the story was framed with the subpoenas and depositions. When bullying leads to suicide, it SHOULD be treated as a crime, and I haven't seen statistics, but I'm certain that it almost never is treated as the crime it is and tends to be hushed up and covered up, because who wants that to deal with and tarnish their reputations, amiright? Ugh. I'm mad at the ending. Not mad because of the direction Lane Davis went with it, mad that it's realistic. Mad that there's no justice for victims of bullying. I am impressed in how the book managed to treat most of its protagonists as three dimensional characters, although Macie is a special case. I wish we had gotten more insight into her psyche. I'm a little worried that some of Macie's taunts and ideas may go over some readers' heads. Her constant repetition of the idea that suicide is selfish is never really directly refuted and honestly, a part of me worries that some ruthless bullies out there could use this book as a how-to guide, and that just scares me. I don't know. This is definitely one that is going to take some time to digest.
July 17, 2021
Very interesting and well written book about the effects of suicide on the people around you and peoples roles in her getting to the place she did. I love the way the author changes perspective every chapter. The ending was pretty lame though and left a lot unsaid that I wish he didn’t.
August 3, 2024
Grade: B
When Leslie commits suicide after relentless bullying by her peers and friends, her parents pursue a civil lawsuit against her five tormentors. Told in the points of view of three of her bullies and a friend/would-be-boyfriend the story of how Leslie became a target and how viscous the abuse was. Will there be justice for Leslie? And what is justice for a girl who was bullied to death?
I SWEAR begins with Leslie's POV in the prologue, the night she commits suicide. Subsequent alternating chapters are in the first persons of Jake, his twin Jillian, and her friends Katherine and Beth. While I thought this technique was useful in telling the story, I had trouble remembering who was narrating. Debut writer Lane Davis could have used different voices as part of illustrating more of the characters' personalities. Katherine, a transfer student from the south, would have been easy to differentiate with a few Southern words or phrases. Except for Katherine, the characters were cliche--the vicious queen bee, her fearful sycophants, the good guy who didn't make a difference, and the depressed girl who committed suicide and in that group, a token lesbian and a token black girl. Macie, leader of the pack was completely one dimensional, almost like a charming sociopath. The story would have been more realistic and relatable if Macie had more layers and a few redeeming qualities, even though she wasn't a narrator. I would have liked to have seen her followers show some reluctance some of the time. I SWEAR is such an important book on such an important topic, more believable characters would have made readers think, this could have been me or, I've done some of those things.
Davis has a pleasing, readable writing style. I read the book in two sittings, and could have I one if I hadn't wanted to stretch out the reading experience. The end chapters did seem to focus more on "telling" than "showing". I hated the ending as much as I can remember hating an ending. I don't think most parents would make the decisions they made in the last chapters. I assumed that either Davis couldn't imagine how parents of kids who committed suicide would act, or she didn't care about realism chose the ending for impact.
I enjoyed I SWEAR much more than my review suggests, I just thought that the flaws in plot and character dragged the novel down. I do recommend this book with an asterisk.
When Leslie commits suicide after relentless bullying by her peers and friends, her parents pursue a civil lawsuit against her five tormentors. Told in the points of view of three of her bullies and a friend/would-be-boyfriend the story of how Leslie became a target and how viscous the abuse was. Will there be justice for Leslie? And what is justice for a girl who was bullied to death?
I SWEAR begins with Leslie's POV in the prologue, the night she commits suicide. Subsequent alternating chapters are in the first persons of Jake, his twin Jillian, and her friends Katherine and Beth. While I thought this technique was useful in telling the story, I had trouble remembering who was narrating. Debut writer Lane Davis could have used different voices as part of illustrating more of the characters' personalities. Katherine, a transfer student from the south, would have been easy to differentiate with a few Southern words or phrases. Except for Katherine, the characters were cliche--the vicious queen bee, her fearful sycophants, the good guy who didn't make a difference, and the depressed girl who committed suicide and in that group, a token lesbian and a token black girl. Macie, leader of the pack was completely one dimensional, almost like a charming sociopath. The story would have been more realistic and relatable if Macie had more layers and a few redeeming qualities, even though she wasn't a narrator. I would have liked to have seen her followers show some reluctance some of the time. I SWEAR is such an important book on such an important topic, more believable characters would have made readers think, this could have been me or, I've done some of those things.
Davis has a pleasing, readable writing style. I read the book in two sittings, and could have I one if I hadn't wanted to stretch out the reading experience. The end chapters did seem to focus more on "telling" than "showing". I hated the ending as much as I can remember hating an ending. I don't think most parents would make the decisions they made in the last chapters. I assumed that either Davis couldn't imagine how parents of kids who committed suicide would act, or she didn't care about realism chose the ending for impact.
I enjoyed I SWEAR much more than my review suggests, I just thought that the flaws in plot and character dragged the novel down. I do recommend this book with an asterisk.
May 1, 2013
It’s senior year and after being bullied non-stop for the past 4 years, Leslie has had enough. She gets in her car to leave, but decides instead to stay in the garage with the car running. This leaves everyone looking for answers – who is really to blame? Jake, the boyfriend, or Beth, the gymnast, or Katherine, the beauty queen, or Jillian, the former best friend, or Macie, who blames everyone else including Leslie’s parents. Told in flashbacks and depositions and conversations we learn the whole story. What will happen when everyone else finds out?
This is a real roller coaster story. It’s “mean girls” on steroids. There’s plenty of blame to go around and plenty of characters to hate! Teens are likely to love this story of bullying and the consequences. Fast paced and pretty frightening, this is a cautionary tale where no one comes out the winner.
I really liked this book with one HUGE exception – the story is set in Seattle, but written by someone who lives in Los Angeles. There are a couple of glaring mistakes that really took me out of the story – one cannot see Mt. Hood (which is in Oregon!) from anywhere in Seattle (this is mentioned more than once!) It's Mt. Rainier!! and NO ONE calls University of Washington, Wash U. Anyone in the area knows it's U-Dub. If you can overlook that, it’s great.
This is a real roller coaster story. It’s “mean girls” on steroids. There’s plenty of blame to go around and plenty of characters to hate! Teens are likely to love this story of bullying and the consequences. Fast paced and pretty frightening, this is a cautionary tale where no one comes out the winner.
I really liked this book with one HUGE exception – the story is set in Seattle, but written by someone who lives in Los Angeles. There are a couple of glaring mistakes that really took me out of the story – one cannot see Mt. Hood (which is in Oregon!) from anywhere in Seattle (this is mentioned more than once!) It's Mt. Rainier!! and NO ONE calls University of Washington, Wash U. Anyone in the area knows it's U-Dub. If you can overlook that, it’s great.
May 18, 2015
"The Gatlins are claiming that Leslie killed herself because of unrelenting bullying. They are gathering evidence to file a civil suit for wrongful death. And they are discussing criminal charges with the district attorney."
Every parents worst nightmare. Leslie feels so hopeless...that she takes her own life. In the midst of everyone's shock and grief, is one group of 5 who rule the school - and they don't seem as sad as everyone else.
As the stories and evidence come out, each of the 5 must decide for themselves what part they played.
Although I did think this book was interesting, I'm saddened by how this all played out. The evidence is just awful, the kids barely like-able. And with something so horrible in a YA book, I kind of wanted closure, but there wasn't any. It's eye opening and a good book on bullying.
Every parents worst nightmare. Leslie feels so hopeless...that she takes her own life. In the midst of everyone's shock and grief, is one group of 5 who rule the school - and they don't seem as sad as everyone else.
As the stories and evidence come out, each of the 5 must decide for themselves what part they played.
Although I did think this book was interesting, I'm saddened by how this all played out. The evidence is just awful, the kids barely like-able. And with something so horrible in a YA book, I kind of wanted closure, but there wasn't any. It's eye opening and a good book on bullying.
June 12, 2013
I think the author watched a Pretty Little Liars marathon before writing this book. It screamed highschool cliché 'frenemies' scenario that killed my brain cells progressively throughout the book.
My biggest gripe was that the POV switched every chapter, alternating between a handful of people, who all sounded like one he-she in my head. Because of this, I had to go back to the beginning of chapters several times to figure out whose thought process I was following.
I'd like to think that modern highschools don't actually have a HBIC with matching (idiot) cronies bending to her every whim. Alas, it has been a few years since highschool for me so what do I know?
For a novel of 180-something pages, I had a really hard time finishing it. For that reason, I left a 2/5 in my handy dandy rating scale.
My biggest gripe was that the POV switched every chapter, alternating between a handful of people, who all sounded like one he-she in my head. Because of this, I had to go back to the beginning of chapters several times to figure out whose thought process I was following.
I'd like to think that modern highschools don't actually have a HBIC with matching (idiot) cronies bending to her every whim. Alas, it has been a few years since highschool for me so what do I know?
For a novel of 180-something pages, I had a really hard time finishing it. For that reason, I left a 2/5 in my handy dandy rating scale.
December 13, 2020
I Swear by Lane Davis is truly a great book, and deserves a rating of 5 stars. Leslie Gatlin just committed suicide and each chapter is from her “friends” point of view. I most definitely will give this book a 5-star rating. My reason for my rating is because the book kept me at the edge of my seat. I loved how unique the chapters are in this book. Anyone who loves drama or realistic fiction would enjoy this book. If I am being honest, this was the least boring book I have read in a while. The suspense for this book is unreal. The age for I Swear is probably for teenagers or for young adults. I say “young adults” because younger kids wouldn’t know the importance of suicide compared to older kids. One person I recommend this book is Clare Macklin. Clare and I have read some of the same books, and both love drama/mysteries.
December 9, 2019
Like others who have given their opinions on this book, it made me sad. The story line was good and grabbed my attention right away and held strong all the way to the end.
Although it happens in real life, it deeply saddened me that money talks. Money made even the victims family stay quiet. It's hard to find justice when deals are made.
Above all, relationships are shattered and the only thing we can all do is move forward. The moral of this book..... Be kind to others.
Although it happens in real life, it deeply saddened me that money talks. Money made even the victims family stay quiet. It's hard to find justice when deals are made.
Above all, relationships are shattered and the only thing we can all do is move forward. The moral of this book..... Be kind to others.
September 24, 2017
No justice at the end though.. Would have loved to see karma run its course.
January 20, 2019
No no no no no.
January 10, 2013
I sat down, trialing this book, wary, because I am not a bully book person. I’m too feisty for it and they usually just anger me. What got me? 30 pages in Jake learns of Leslie’s suicide and there was something so raw and honest in the reaction, that it gutted me. Strangely enough, Jake stayed my tried and true favorite character throughout the whole book because of this honesty.
For a book that only took me like 3 hours to read, it packed an insane punch. I teared up several times, boiled with anger, had HAH! moments of success evenly paired with life sucks moments. In the end, my mind was plagued with Leslie Gatlin’s suicide for hours. The wrongness, the unfairness and most importantly, all of the tiny factors that built and magnified off of each other.
As far as characters, despicable and otherwise, my favorites? Jake. Jake Walker. Jake’s passages were some of the strongest in emotion I’ve ever read. He was so blunt and so true that he was the knight in shining armor compared to the witches around him. Too bad he couldn’t save the princess. I had this book as an ARC and while I don’t keep ARCs and only buy books I L-O-V-E-D in finished form, I want this book solely for Jake. As somber as they are, I’d love to re-read his poignant and painful POV.
And Katherine is pretty awesome in her own right. These are the only 2 purely redeemable characters.
Now for the despicable ones. There aren’t enough words for Macie Merrick. Some of the words might get be banned on this site. Let me put it this way, if Macie Merrick were a real person, I’d devote far too much time and energy to destroy this girl.
As Geena Davis's character in Beetlejuice says about Catherine O'Hara's character "I'm going to get her."
Krista who is nothing put an insufferable little lackey. After destroying Macie, I would move on Krista, but not spend as much time on her destruction.
Then there’s Beth who kinda means well, but is just about the most spineless creature to … what? if she’s spineless she can’t walk... slime? the earth. She does grow over time, but still. Ugh.
Finally there’s Jillian whose entire plot/ story/ character ARC is overshadowed by what is essentially a giant spoiler for the whole book. So there’s that. My thoughts on Jillian are also entwined with my biggest qualm, therefore I will hide all thoughts on Jillian and my qualm.
Click at your warning that everything up to the very last few pages will be spoiled.
Lastly, can I just say mad props to Lane Davis? I read this book not really paying attention to the author’s name. I assumed the author was a female. I was wrong and became 100 times more impressed. I am a female and I find it hard to capture the truly catty, horrid ways girls can be. For a man to see it and portray in the way he did is just stunning. Not only did he write the girl POVs to perfection, it makes the vulnerability of Jake a million times better and real.
For a book that only took me like 3 hours to read, it packed an insane punch. I teared up several times, boiled with anger, had HAH! moments of success evenly paired with life sucks moments. In the end, my mind was plagued with Leslie Gatlin’s suicide for hours. The wrongness, the unfairness and most importantly, all of the tiny factors that built and magnified off of each other.
As far as characters, despicable and otherwise, my favorites? Jake. Jake Walker. Jake’s passages were some of the strongest in emotion I’ve ever read. He was so blunt and so true that he was the knight in shining armor compared to the witches around him. Too bad he couldn’t save the princess. I had this book as an ARC and while I don’t keep ARCs and only buy books I L-O-V-E-D in finished form, I want this book solely for Jake. As somber as they are, I’d love to re-read his poignant and painful POV.
And Katherine is pretty awesome in her own right. These are the only 2 purely redeemable characters.
Now for the despicable ones. There aren’t enough words for Macie Merrick. Some of the words might get be banned on this site. Let me put it this way, if Macie Merrick were a real person, I’d devote far too much time and energy to destroy this girl.
As Geena Davis's character in Beetlejuice says about Catherine O'Hara's character "I'm going to get her."
Krista who is nothing put an insufferable little lackey. After destroying Macie, I would move on Krista, but not spend as much time on her destruction.
Then there’s Beth who kinda means well, but is just about the most spineless creature to … what? if she’s spineless she can’t walk... slime? the earth. She does grow over time, but still. Ugh.
Finally there’s Jillian whose entire plot/ story/ character ARC is overshadowed by what is essentially a giant spoiler for the whole book. So there’s that. My thoughts on Jillian are also entwined with my biggest qualm, therefore I will hide all thoughts on Jillian and my qualm.
Click at your warning that everything up to the very last few pages will be spoiled.
Lastly, can I just say mad props to Lane Davis? I read this book not really paying attention to the author’s name. I assumed the author was a female. I was wrong and became 100 times more impressed. I am a female and I find it hard to capture the truly catty, horrid ways girls can be. For a man to see it and portray in the way he did is just stunning. Not only did he write the girl POVs to perfection, it makes the vulnerability of Jake a million times better and real.
November 24, 2018
I Swear was a book following the aftermath of a teen suicide due to cyber bullying caused by her so called “friends.” Personally, I found it very hard to follow the characters and understand which characters had which traits. Each chapter is a different character. If I could have grown a closer relationship with the characters, I may have given this book a higher rating. This book is very much for the teen reader who enjoys the drama genre. It is based around a teenage girl who is used to getting her way with everything, and making her friends do her bullying for her. As readers, we see the trial unfold after the young girls parents take her high school “friends” to court, and learn about the past instances that lead to the young girls suicide. This book would be a much better read if the characters were more developed and the timeline, in which we learn information regarding the instances that lead up to the suicide, was more organized.
September 3, 2012
Richie’s Picks: I SWEAR by Lane Davis, Simon & Schuster, September 2012, 288p., ISBN: 978-1-4424-3506-3
“She finally knew one thing for sure: Even if she went to Portland, even if she drove a hundred miles an hour and didn’t stop until she was standing on Aunt Laura’s doorstep, she could never outrun this pain. It would never end, unless she ended it.
“Right now.
“Deep down inside, she knew that going to Aunt Laura’s would never do that. That was just the story she’d told herself to get her to the car in the garage. Going nowhere was the only real option. It had been her first idea, and now in the warmth of the garage, with the sound of the softly purring engine, and the song filling her ears, she decided it had been her best choice. In the end, it was the least complicated, and the only thing that would work for certain.
“As the exhaust began to tickle her nose, she laid her head back against the seat and closed her eyes.”
It is Labor Day, the official end of summer vacation, the dawning of yet another school year, and I’ve been escaping the triple-digits down here in Texas Aggie country with a red-hot read that officially releases tomorrow.
The new school year brings with it the opportunity for kids to grow and learn and prosper. It also brings kids the risk of becoming a target for those whose agendas reveal the worst in humanity as they torture and degrade their fellow students with name calling, rumor mongering, physical abuse and -- here in the twenty-first century -- cyber bullying.
Leslie Gatlin is so miserable that she has taken her own life, and I SWEAR is the story of the afterward from the point of view of those who loved and/or tortured the high school senior.
Jake:
“No one lifted a fork, or a fry. All eyes were glued on Katherine. Even Macie was paying attention. ‘What did they tell your dad,’ she asked quietly.
“’They were hired by the Gatlins,’ Katherine said slowly. The smile and the iciness of her voice had fallen away. She was just giving us the facts now. ‘The Gatlins are claiming that Leslie killed herself because of unrelenting bullying. They are gathering evidence to file a civil suit for wrongful death. And they are discussing criminal charges with the district attorney.’
“The words dropped from Katherine’s lips and gently settled over the table like a thick layer of soot. Everyone else was looking at Katherine. I was looking at Macie.”
At the epicenter of the story are Jake and Macie.
Macie Merrick, daughter of a popular state senator, might well be the filthiest, most manipulative piece of humankind that I’ve ever encountered in young adult literature. This is one of those books where you want to go wash your hands after you read what this despicable young woman is capable of.
We learn that it began back at the time when they were all freshmen. Macie wanted Jake. But Jake wanted no part of her. Meanwhile, Leslie and Jake were good friends, and so Macie began a long and well-orchestrated campaign to make Leslie miserable and encourage her to kill herself. It began with Macie spreading the rumor that Leslie’s well-endowed chest was the result of surgery – surgery paid for through sexual favors.
Too far-fetched a rumor you say? All you need to do is read a few pages of Macie in action, and I guarantee that you will withdraw your objection.
Macie started on Leslie when all the characters were freshmen, and she has never once eased up on her victim.
Having the story come to revolve around the depositions that all of the characters are going to have to give under oath provides the perfect pressure cooker for our learning the inner-most thoughts and secrets of the clique of popular girls with whom Macie has systematically surrounded herself, the girls who figure that they’d better support Macie so as to not end up in the crosshairs like Leslie. These girls include a star gymnast, a successful beauty pageant participant…and Jake’s twin sister.
Well-known librarian Patrick Jones used to talk about how the ultimate works of young adult literature are those which come to be included in both a given year’s Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers list and Best Books for Young Adults list (which, these days, is a fiction-only list). The intensity of this read, combined with the story’s significant bullying and cyber bullying aspects, make this a book that I heartily endorse for recognition on both of those book lists.
And remember, folks, you are either part of the solution or you are part of the problem.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
[email protected]
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
“She finally knew one thing for sure: Even if she went to Portland, even if she drove a hundred miles an hour and didn’t stop until she was standing on Aunt Laura’s doorstep, she could never outrun this pain. It would never end, unless she ended it.
“Right now.
“Deep down inside, she knew that going to Aunt Laura’s would never do that. That was just the story she’d told herself to get her to the car in the garage. Going nowhere was the only real option. It had been her first idea, and now in the warmth of the garage, with the sound of the softly purring engine, and the song filling her ears, she decided it had been her best choice. In the end, it was the least complicated, and the only thing that would work for certain.
“As the exhaust began to tickle her nose, she laid her head back against the seat and closed her eyes.”
It is Labor Day, the official end of summer vacation, the dawning of yet another school year, and I’ve been escaping the triple-digits down here in Texas Aggie country with a red-hot read that officially releases tomorrow.
The new school year brings with it the opportunity for kids to grow and learn and prosper. It also brings kids the risk of becoming a target for those whose agendas reveal the worst in humanity as they torture and degrade their fellow students with name calling, rumor mongering, physical abuse and -- here in the twenty-first century -- cyber bullying.
Leslie Gatlin is so miserable that she has taken her own life, and I SWEAR is the story of the afterward from the point of view of those who loved and/or tortured the high school senior.
Jake:
“No one lifted a fork, or a fry. All eyes were glued on Katherine. Even Macie was paying attention. ‘What did they tell your dad,’ she asked quietly.
“’They were hired by the Gatlins,’ Katherine said slowly. The smile and the iciness of her voice had fallen away. She was just giving us the facts now. ‘The Gatlins are claiming that Leslie killed herself because of unrelenting bullying. They are gathering evidence to file a civil suit for wrongful death. And they are discussing criminal charges with the district attorney.’
“The words dropped from Katherine’s lips and gently settled over the table like a thick layer of soot. Everyone else was looking at Katherine. I was looking at Macie.”
At the epicenter of the story are Jake and Macie.
Macie Merrick, daughter of a popular state senator, might well be the filthiest, most manipulative piece of humankind that I’ve ever encountered in young adult literature. This is one of those books where you want to go wash your hands after you read what this despicable young woman is capable of.
We learn that it began back at the time when they were all freshmen. Macie wanted Jake. But Jake wanted no part of her. Meanwhile, Leslie and Jake were good friends, and so Macie began a long and well-orchestrated campaign to make Leslie miserable and encourage her to kill herself. It began with Macie spreading the rumor that Leslie’s well-endowed chest was the result of surgery – surgery paid for through sexual favors.
Too far-fetched a rumor you say? All you need to do is read a few pages of Macie in action, and I guarantee that you will withdraw your objection.
Macie started on Leslie when all the characters were freshmen, and she has never once eased up on her victim.
Having the story come to revolve around the depositions that all of the characters are going to have to give under oath provides the perfect pressure cooker for our learning the inner-most thoughts and secrets of the clique of popular girls with whom Macie has systematically surrounded herself, the girls who figure that they’d better support Macie so as to not end up in the crosshairs like Leslie. These girls include a star gymnast, a successful beauty pageant participant…and Jake’s twin sister.
Well-known librarian Patrick Jones used to talk about how the ultimate works of young adult literature are those which come to be included in both a given year’s Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers list and Best Books for Young Adults list (which, these days, is a fiction-only list). The intensity of this read, combined with the story’s significant bullying and cyber bullying aspects, make this a book that I heartily endorse for recognition on both of those book lists.
And remember, folks, you are either part of the solution or you are part of the problem.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
[email protected]
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
June 9, 2017
I Swear Review
Book Rating: 4 stars out 5.
Story Line: 4 stars out 5. Leslie Gatlin killed her self...in her garage. The beginning broke my heart. I felt horrible for this poor girl. Macie, Jillian, Katherine, Beth, and Krista all played a part in her death. They all bullied her to the point where the poor girl killed herself. Jake was her only true friend. Every character besides Krista and Macie told their parts in the the story. At first I really didn't like Jillian, Katherine, or Beth. The only character I loved was Jake. He was Leslie's only friend. The bullying started because Macie couldn't have Jake. Jake was in love with Leslie. Reading their flashbacks was hard especially Jake's. You could see how much Jake loved Leslie. I'm glad they all turn on Macie in the end. She deserved it. This book made me angry a lot. I hated almost every single character. At the end most of them redeemed themselves except for Macie. Overall, the story was written well.
Characters: 2 stars out 5. (Decided to lower the rating half a star because I hated most of the characters. They were all horrible people. I wish they were all held accountable for their actions.)
Jillian is Jake's sister. She was friend's with Leslie in the beginning, but things changed. She wanted to be Macie's best friend. It was disgusting. She should have defended Leslie. I really did hate her. I'm glad when Jake told her that they aren't siblings anymore. That part really made me smile. She hurt her brother more than she could ever know. Normally twins have a special bond, but not when you hurt them so deeply...they can't trust or love you anymore.
Katherine was a pageant queen, but she actually wants to go to school for law. She only became friends with Leslie because her mother also had done pageants. Macie played her for a fool. Macie only wanted to be her friend because she was black. I hated that. She redeemed herself at the end. I liked her more than
Beth is a gymnast. She was friends with Leslie before she passed away. She liked her. She was in love with her, but she turned on her because she couldn't have her. She did the most damage. I really did hate her. I never will get over how much I hate this girl. Like for real.
Macie and Krista I hated the most. They were the ones that started it all. Macie made up rumors. Had people do things to Leslie because she didn't like her. She wanted Jake, but Jake didn't want her. That is why Leslie got picked on. No one messed with her. I'm glad that she was taken down a peg. She deserved it!
Jake was my favorite. His anger was displayed nicely. I loved every moment with him. He was the best character in the whole book. I understood why he was angry. I would have been too. His sister was the whole reason the girl of his dreams was dead. My heart broke for him.
Favorite Quote: “It's a strange thing when you spend so much time and energy fearing the worst will happen. Turns out that when it finally occurs, it's pretty much as bad as you thought it would be. In fact, some parts are worse. Then an amazing thing happens. You see clearly for the first time what made the terrible thing so frightening in the first place: You didn't think you'd survive. But you do.”
Writing Style: 4 stars out 5. It was easy to read. Lane Davis did well.
Book Rating: 4 stars out 5.
Story Line: 4 stars out 5. Leslie Gatlin killed her self...in her garage. The beginning broke my heart. I felt horrible for this poor girl. Macie, Jillian, Katherine, Beth, and Krista all played a part in her death. They all bullied her to the point where the poor girl killed herself. Jake was her only true friend. Every character besides Krista and Macie told their parts in the the story. At first I really didn't like Jillian, Katherine, or Beth. The only character I loved was Jake. He was Leslie's only friend. The bullying started because Macie couldn't have Jake. Jake was in love with Leslie. Reading their flashbacks was hard especially Jake's. You could see how much Jake loved Leslie. I'm glad they all turn on Macie in the end. She deserved it. This book made me angry a lot. I hated almost every single character. At the end most of them redeemed themselves except for Macie. Overall, the story was written well.
Characters: 2 stars out 5. (Decided to lower the rating half a star because I hated most of the characters. They were all horrible people. I wish they were all held accountable for their actions.)
Jillian is Jake's sister. She was friend's with Leslie in the beginning, but things changed. She wanted to be Macie's best friend. It was disgusting. She should have defended Leslie. I really did hate her. I'm glad when Jake told her that they aren't siblings anymore. That part really made me smile. She hurt her brother more than she could ever know. Normally twins have a special bond, but not when you hurt them so deeply...they can't trust or love you anymore.
Katherine was a pageant queen, but she actually wants to go to school for law. She only became friends with Leslie because her mother also had done pageants. Macie played her for a fool. Macie only wanted to be her friend because she was black. I hated that. She redeemed herself at the end. I liked her more than
Beth is a gymnast. She was friends with Leslie before she passed away. She liked her. She was in love with her, but she turned on her because she couldn't have her. She did the most damage. I really did hate her. I never will get over how much I hate this girl. Like for real.
Macie and Krista I hated the most. They were the ones that started it all. Macie made up rumors. Had people do things to Leslie because she didn't like her. She wanted Jake, but Jake didn't want her. That is why Leslie got picked on. No one messed with her. I'm glad that she was taken down a peg. She deserved it!
Jake was my favorite. His anger was displayed nicely. I loved every moment with him. He was the best character in the whole book. I understood why he was angry. I would have been too. His sister was the whole reason the girl of his dreams was dead. My heart broke for him.
Favorite Quote: “It's a strange thing when you spend so much time and energy fearing the worst will happen. Turns out that when it finally occurs, it's pretty much as bad as you thought it would be. In fact, some parts are worse. Then an amazing thing happens. You see clearly for the first time what made the terrible thing so frightening in the first place: You didn't think you'd survive. But you do.”
Writing Style: 4 stars out 5. It was easy to read. Lane Davis did well.
March 27, 2019
Personal Response
I thought that this book was very relatable as far as society is, and how it treats people,
especially in high school.
Plot summary
Leslie Gatlin killed herself because she was being bullied... everyone knew but did nothing.
Macie Merrick wants to blame Leslie's parents saying "who could raise a child to be so selfish".
Although Macie is the reason why this happened in the first place, she started the rumors but
had people do her dirty work for her. So now that Leslie's parents want to file a case there is no
evidence, because technically "Macie did nothing".
Characterization
Macie Merrick is class president, and the most popular girl in school, especially since her dad is a senator. Leslie Gatlin is, well... she’s quiet, and not very popular. She also killed herself when
Macie’s and her minions' tricks became too much for Leslie to handle. Jake, is Jillian's brother,
and he’s in love with Leslie, however, Macie is in love with him. And when Leslie kills herself
because of Macie and her minions (including Jillion), Jake goes off the handle and does
everything he can to bring down Macie and her pets.
Recommendation
I recommend this book for high schoolers and anyone who may know somebody going through
bullying. Mostly because it might open their eyes to see that the person being bullied needs
help. People can not always help themselves, and can’t always deal with as much as other
people might. I also recommend this book to people who have gone through what Jake did,
knowing that he could have stopped it, and his friends were the ones who caused it. “It’s never
anyone’s fault”, is a lie. There are people to blame.
I thought that this book was very relatable as far as society is, and how it treats people,
especially in high school.
Plot summary
Leslie Gatlin killed herself because she was being bullied... everyone knew but did nothing.
Macie Merrick wants to blame Leslie's parents saying "who could raise a child to be so selfish".
Although Macie is the reason why this happened in the first place, she started the rumors but
had people do her dirty work for her. So now that Leslie's parents want to file a case there is no
evidence, because technically "Macie did nothing".
Characterization
Macie Merrick is class president, and the most popular girl in school, especially since her dad is a senator. Leslie Gatlin is, well... she’s quiet, and not very popular. She also killed herself when
Macie’s and her minions' tricks became too much for Leslie to handle. Jake, is Jillian's brother,
and he’s in love with Leslie, however, Macie is in love with him. And when Leslie kills herself
because of Macie and her minions (including Jillion), Jake goes off the handle and does
everything he can to bring down Macie and her pets.
Recommendation
I recommend this book for high schoolers and anyone who may know somebody going through
bullying. Mostly because it might open their eyes to see that the person being bullied needs
help. People can not always help themselves, and can’t always deal with as much as other
people might. I also recommend this book to people who have gone through what Jake did,
knowing that he could have stopped it, and his friends were the ones who caused it. “It’s never
anyone’s fault”, is a lie. There are people to blame.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2013
This reminded me a lot of Pretty Little Liars. There was the main b*tch who didn't care who got hurt or killed or whatever, as long as she still got whatever her black hole of a heart wanted. There was the next girl in charge, who knew there was something wrong but never tried to figure out what it was or try to help. There was also the lesbian who was in love with someone she could never have. There was even blackmailing text messages that threatened to destroy lives.
This was a good read, but it also made me feel a little...anxious. I felt like I was getting bullied while I was reading this. I kept thinking that the main b*tch, Macie, was going to end up bringing up something that was going to relate to me too and there were many times when I wanted to just put the book down. It hurt me to read this and it was very hard to get through the whole thing.
High school is hard - no doubt about it. Especially if you're a girl. You're a guy, you have sports to help get you through. For the female species, it's a lot harder than that. You got to take care of your body, you got to have the right clothes, be interested in the right things, but most importantly you have to know the right people.
Because if you're not protected, things can go wrong for you and fast. All it takes is one rumor and that's the end of you. It doesn't matter if it's true or not, the fact that no matter how hard you deny it or even ignore it is all that matters, because it NEVER goes away.
Macie didn't seem to care who she hurt. She was the mayor's daughter and she had everything going for her. Until, one boy decided he didn't want her. And that's what caused this whole thing to start. Macie's a dominating, conniving little b*tch that just doesn't know when to stop and that's what made this book a little hard for me to get through.
But, the ending was TOTALLY unfair! Like, REALLY?
Yeah, but besides all that, I really loved it though and especially the different POVs and little flashbacks that went with them. It was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more works by the author. =)
This was a good read, but it also made me feel a little...anxious. I felt like I was getting bullied while I was reading this. I kept thinking that the main b*tch, Macie, was going to end up bringing up something that was going to relate to me too and there were many times when I wanted to just put the book down. It hurt me to read this and it was very hard to get through the whole thing.
High school is hard - no doubt about it. Especially if you're a girl. You're a guy, you have sports to help get you through. For the female species, it's a lot harder than that. You got to take care of your body, you got to have the right clothes, be interested in the right things, but most importantly you have to know the right people.
Because if you're not protected, things can go wrong for you and fast. All it takes is one rumor and that's the end of you. It doesn't matter if it's true or not, the fact that no matter how hard you deny it or even ignore it is all that matters, because it NEVER goes away.
Macie didn't seem to care who she hurt. She was the mayor's daughter and she had everything going for her. Until, one boy decided he didn't want her. And that's what caused this whole thing to start. Macie's a dominating, conniving little b*tch that just doesn't know when to stop and that's what made this book a little hard for me to get through.
But, the ending was TOTALLY unfair! Like, REALLY?
Yeah, but besides all that, I really loved it though and especially the different POVs and little flashbacks that went with them. It was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more works by the author. =)
April 2, 2013
I swear good reads book report
Lane Davis’s purpose in writing her novel, I Swear, is to educate the readers about bullying and the types of effects that it has on people. I Swear offers many emotions to the reader. There is anger, relief, pain, sadness, and many more. There are many different messages that are being conveyed in this novel. Many of which teach good lessons to the readers. I Swear is different from most books; it has real life situations that some people can relate too.
There are some parts in the book that really get to the reader. If you have ever lost somebody close to you then you can understand the pain that Leslie’s friends and family are going through. This book is just an emotional rollercoaster. This book is about a girl who has been bullied day after day and finally decides to take her own life. We know this because she left a “suicide note” (Davis 9). This book will be very memorable to the audience who can relate to certain parts of this book.
This book is fairly written. It does not really contain advanced language but its vocabulary is not elementary style either. Although the author is older, it seems like it is written from a teenage perspective. This book is told from a different point of view. Leslie had five friends in this book. There was “Macie…Jillian…Beth…Jake… [and] Katherine” (Davis 127, 8, 17, 25, 13). After Leslie takes her own life, the book goes back and forth from all of the friend’s point of views. I like how this book isn’t just told from one perspective, instead many are used which helps to keep the readers interest.
The book was very captivating. I could not put it down. It teaches very valuable lessons. This I Swear is a great novel because it touches upon a real life situation that many people go through every day. Not only was this book meant for entertainment and education, but it could also be used as a way to get the word out about bullying and the affect it has on others. Not only is the topic of bullying addressed, but so is suicide. One strength of this book is that it is very realistic. Things like this are occurring all around the world today. Although Lane Davis is a man, he seems to nail down the point of views of the female roles quite well.
I would recommend this book to a friend or family member any time. Not only is this book a good read, but it is a very realistic one that many people could relate to rather than Twilight or another fantasy novel. I Swear was relatively fun and entertaining to read even though it dealt with some sad topics. It was very captivating and hard to put down. I highly recommend reading this book.
Lane Davis’s purpose in writing her novel, I Swear, is to educate the readers about bullying and the types of effects that it has on people. I Swear offers many emotions to the reader. There is anger, relief, pain, sadness, and many more. There are many different messages that are being conveyed in this novel. Many of which teach good lessons to the readers. I Swear is different from most books; it has real life situations that some people can relate too.
There are some parts in the book that really get to the reader. If you have ever lost somebody close to you then you can understand the pain that Leslie’s friends and family are going through. This book is just an emotional rollercoaster. This book is about a girl who has been bullied day after day and finally decides to take her own life. We know this because she left a “suicide note” (Davis 9). This book will be very memorable to the audience who can relate to certain parts of this book.
This book is fairly written. It does not really contain advanced language but its vocabulary is not elementary style either. Although the author is older, it seems like it is written from a teenage perspective. This book is told from a different point of view. Leslie had five friends in this book. There was “Macie…Jillian…Beth…Jake… [and] Katherine” (Davis 127, 8, 17, 25, 13). After Leslie takes her own life, the book goes back and forth from all of the friend’s point of views. I like how this book isn’t just told from one perspective, instead many are used which helps to keep the readers interest.
The book was very captivating. I could not put it down. It teaches very valuable lessons. This I Swear is a great novel because it touches upon a real life situation that many people go through every day. Not only was this book meant for entertainment and education, but it could also be used as a way to get the word out about bullying and the affect it has on others. Not only is the topic of bullying addressed, but so is suicide. One strength of this book is that it is very realistic. Things like this are occurring all around the world today. Although Lane Davis is a man, he seems to nail down the point of views of the female roles quite well.
I would recommend this book to a friend or family member any time. Not only is this book a good read, but it is a very realistic one that many people could relate to rather than Twilight or another fantasy novel. I Swear was relatively fun and entertaining to read even though it dealt with some sad topics. It was very captivating and hard to put down. I highly recommend reading this book.
April 10, 2013
Spoiler Alert, you've been warned: you've been warned!I really like this book. When I read the prologue and I already started 2 like Leslie, she was so nice I didn't want her die.... Leslie, Jake & Josh were my favorite characters & I wanted Jake and Leslie together so bad. Every time Jake had flashbacks of them together I was like
I felt so bad 4 Jake cause he loves Leslie & he was the last person 2 c her alive & one of the last people 2 know she died. When Jake found out I was like
I did not like Jillian at all, & when the book ended with her and Brad i was just in shock the ending was just so bland. I was super pissed that Macie got away with everything and Leslie's parents where payed off 2 drop the case. These things made the book a 4 (in my opinion) because i really wanted 2 rate this book a 6 if i could but these parts of the book made me like
Beth was okay I was mad that she turned on Leslie just cause she didn't want anyone 2 know that she loves Leslie. Krysta was so mean just like Macie, so i loved when Kellie got 2 be the new VP. This book was really good!!!!!
I felt so bad 4 Jake cause he loves Leslie & he was the last person 2 c her alive & one of the last people 2 know she died. When Jake found out I was like
I did not like Jillian at all, & when the book ended with her and Brad i was just in shock the ending was just so bland. I was super pissed that Macie got away with everything and Leslie's parents where payed off 2 drop the case. These things made the book a 4 (in my opinion) because i really wanted 2 rate this book a 6 if i could but these parts of the book made me like
Beth was okay I was mad that she turned on Leslie just cause she didn't want anyone 2 know that she loves Leslie. Krysta was so mean just like Macie, so i loved when Kellie got 2 be the new VP. This book was really good!!!!!
September 26, 2012
I Swear was a really great, fast-paced read that hits home with a contemporary topic - bullying.
After being relentlessly bullied by the school "mean girls," Leslie finally reaches her limit and commits suicide in her parents garage. This is the opening that instantly hits readers with a great deal of force. It only takes those few pages (the only ones that we will get from Leslie's POV) to fall immediately in her corner.
From there on, each chapter is narrated by a few members of the clique that bullied Leslie to death. The bullies are brought up on civil charges by Leslie's parents and their stories/excuses/lies unravel as they individually go in for depositions. Through these varying chapters, you learn about some of the worst moments of bullying for Leslie and see what kind of role each girl played. Interestingly enough, Davis never chooses Macie, the powerful and feared ring leader, as a narrator. I actually really appreciated that fact throughout the story because you got to see how well she maniuplated others - however, I was kind of hoping that the final chapter would be from her POV and that readers would see some justice for Leslie (finally) happen. In fact, the ending is the only reason why I didn't give 5 stars. I wanted to know more - an epilogue would have been great!
This was truly an engaging story that I think is an important one to read. In fact, it is one that I feel would make a great book club read for teens. The content is definitely very serious and would probably be best suited for older YA readers. However, I don't think that there would be a problem passing it along to mature, younger YA readers.
After being relentlessly bullied by the school "mean girls," Leslie finally reaches her limit and commits suicide in her parents garage. This is the opening that instantly hits readers with a great deal of force. It only takes those few pages (the only ones that we will get from Leslie's POV) to fall immediately in her corner.
From there on, each chapter is narrated by a few members of the clique that bullied Leslie to death. The bullies are brought up on civil charges by Leslie's parents and their stories/excuses/lies unravel as they individually go in for depositions. Through these varying chapters, you learn about some of the worst moments of bullying for Leslie and see what kind of role each girl played. Interestingly enough, Davis never chooses Macie, the powerful and feared ring leader, as a narrator. I actually really appreciated that fact throughout the story because you got to see how well she maniuplated others - however, I was kind of hoping that the final chapter would be from her POV and that readers would see some justice for Leslie (finally) happen. In fact, the ending is the only reason why I didn't give 5 stars. I wanted to know more - an epilogue would have been great!
This was truly an engaging story that I think is an important one to read. In fact, it is one that I feel would make a great book club read for teens. The content is definitely very serious and would probably be best suited for older YA readers. However, I don't think that there would be a problem passing it along to mature, younger YA readers.
August 11, 2015
Sometimes you read a book and when you are finished you are just speechless. I Swear by Lane Davis did that to me. It has been over a week since I have finished the book and still I find myself overwhelmed by the horror perpetrated to Leslie for years! I did not throw the book as I was on my kindle, but I considered it briefly.
Bullying is such a rampart problem in our world. Unfortunately, it is in many places in our society and at many levels. Intimidation, fear of reprisals, cruelty and harshness seem to feed the need for revenge or to gain an upper hand. I am sure this scenario has been repeated in many places for many reasons, race, religion, and sexual orientation – or in some petty cases someone having something that the other person wants. The worst part is I am not really sure who I am the angriest at because of the ending of the book!
I like how the author moved back and forth in time. I liked how he wrote the book using different voices. I felt that allowed for all the characters to have an opportunity to show the absolutely confusion of adolescence. What I did not like was how no one stood up except for Jake, but being a boy – he was sometimes clueless. I did not like how Kathleen’s father let her see the depositions – that is such a breach of ethics. I did not like Macie – for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which that she is evil. I did not like the end – but I don’t want to give that away. If the object of books like this is to make you think and consider behavior and people – it more than meets that criteria. It will not stop mean people, but it might make more people stand up against bullies.
Bullying is such a rampart problem in our world. Unfortunately, it is in many places in our society and at many levels. Intimidation, fear of reprisals, cruelty and harshness seem to feed the need for revenge or to gain an upper hand. I am sure this scenario has been repeated in many places for many reasons, race, religion, and sexual orientation – or in some petty cases someone having something that the other person wants. The worst part is I am not really sure who I am the angriest at because of the ending of the book!
I like how the author moved back and forth in time. I liked how he wrote the book using different voices. I felt that allowed for all the characters to have an opportunity to show the absolutely confusion of adolescence. What I did not like was how no one stood up except for Jake, but being a boy – he was sometimes clueless. I did not like how Kathleen’s father let her see the depositions – that is such a breach of ethics. I did not like Macie – for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which that she is evil. I did not like the end – but I don’t want to give that away. If the object of books like this is to make you think and consider behavior and people – it more than meets that criteria. It will not stop mean people, but it might make more people stand up against bullies.
February 13, 2014
I DO NOT recommend this book for those who have been bullied. Consider this a HUUUUUGE trigger warning about this book.
Someone else mentioned that there was a boat missed on including helpful links for kids who have been bullied... yeah. I think that would have helped, a bit. Not a lot though.
This book basically says that the bad guys not only will ruin your life, run a campaign of fear, and make you kill yourself, but they'll also basically receive no punishment for their bad behavior.
I stand by the 1-star for it being a super fast read, that's about it.
Also, lots of errors. And the young woman of color was alternately speaking like a normal person or talking like she grew up in the Antebellum South. Possums eating briars happened three times, I believe? It should have been zero. And when her Aunt talked in phone calls or memories, it was like she hadn't received a high school education. This book takes place in 2011! There is no excuse for that blatant disrespect for folks who move from the South to anywhere else--no matter their ethnicity. Plenty of kids moved into town, in this story, who weren't from far away, or had cliche accents and turns of phrase that only showed up when the author remembered whose point of view he was writing from... I just... arg!! Rage. All over the place. I'm done. >.<
Someone else mentioned that there was a boat missed on including helpful links for kids who have been bullied... yeah. I think that would have helped, a bit. Not a lot though.
This book basically says that the bad guys not only will ruin your life, run a campaign of fear, and make you kill yourself, but they'll also basically receive no punishment for their bad behavior.
I stand by the 1-star for it being a super fast read, that's about it.
Also, lots of errors. And the young woman of color was alternately speaking like a normal person or talking like she grew up in the Antebellum South. Possums eating briars happened three times, I believe? It should have been zero. And when her Aunt talked in phone calls or memories, it was like she hadn't received a high school education. This book takes place in 2011! There is no excuse for that blatant disrespect for folks who move from the South to anywhere else--no matter their ethnicity. Plenty of kids moved into town, in this story, who weren't from far away, or had cliche accents and turns of phrase that only showed up when the author remembered whose point of view he was writing from... I just... arg!! Rage. All over the place. I'm done. >.<
March 20, 2021
Macie blames Leslie’s parents; Jillian was Leslie’s best friend not too long ago; Beth swears she didn’t start the rumors; Katherine insists she’s not involved; Jake loved Leslie so much he hurt. But Leslie has killed herself – and no one will admit to pushing her over the edge. (jacket)
There is a good deal of blame to go around here. But, like in Thirteen Reasons Why, Leslie was bullied to death … literally. The story is an excellent testament to how so many seemingly little things add up to one big nightmare for the recipient. Any of the characters could have made one little change, or stood up to Macie, and made all the difference to Leslie.
As in real life, there wasn’t a happy ending to this story. In fact, when I read of I just wanted to chuck the book out the window. A violent reaction to the continued injustices to Leslie – even after her death. But, while it frustrated me, the ending was very real and honest. Too many people wait for someone else to do the right thing!
There is a good deal of blame to go around here. But, like in Thirteen Reasons Why, Leslie was bullied to death … literally. The story is an excellent testament to how so many seemingly little things add up to one big nightmare for the recipient. Any of the characters could have made one little change, or stood up to Macie, and made all the difference to Leslie.
As in real life, there wasn’t a happy ending to this story. In fact, when I read of I just wanted to chuck the book out the window. A violent reaction to the continued injustices to Leslie – even after her death. But, while it frustrated me, the ending was very real and honest. Too many people wait for someone else to do the right thing!
January 8, 2017
I don't know why I didn't love this book. And the only reason I can think of is that it just... Wasn't powerful enough. I am very particular when it comes to books that deal with bullying, I guess. And in this book, only Jake's story truly made me sad.
That said, this is a good book. What I liked most about it is that Macie, of all characters, did not get a POV of her own. Precisely because she is the driving force.
Another thing I really liked is that all of the characters had their own reasons for making the choices they did. They weren't just bullies. They weren't malicious. They were complex and individual. And rather than bullying, this book is about choices. Including moving on.
All in all, I liked the diversity of characters and their stories. But it just didn't touch me as much as I wanted it to. So, somewhere between three and four stars.
That said, this is a good book. What I liked most about it is that Macie, of all characters, did not get a POV of her own. Precisely because she is the driving force.
Another thing I really liked is that all of the characters had their own reasons for making the choices they did. They weren't just bullies. They weren't malicious. They were complex and individual. And rather than bullying, this book is about choices. Including moving on.
All in all, I liked the diversity of characters and their stories. But it just didn't touch me as much as I wanted it to. So, somewhere between three and four stars.
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