Bystander

November 2, 2009
The question at the heart of this story turns on what Martin Luther King Jr. called “the appalling silence of the good people.” Is it just as bad to see someone get mistreated and not act as it is to be the bully? The villain is Griffin Connelly, a smooth operator with a megawatt smile and a dark heart, who regularly receives the back of his father's hand and passes along the abuse to any “sick gazelles” he finds at Bellport Central Middle School. When new student Eric refuses to play lapdog, he becomes the target. The strength of Preller's (Along Came Spider
) narrative lies in how well he orchestrates Eric's response—he knows there is no easy answer and that going to adults is not always the best thing to do. As he wrestles with his conscience, Eric is befriended by Mary, a classmate making her own stand against malicious teasing. Plenty of kids will see themselves in these pages, making for painful, if important, reading. The resolution, though realistic, may leave some dissatisfied, as the bully moves on but never gets the comeuppance he so richly deserves. Ages 10–up.

Starred review from January 1, 2010
Gr 6-9-Eric Hayes has moved from Ohio to Long Island, NY, with his mother and younger brother. His schizophrenic father left long ago. Eric soon meets Griffin Connelly, a handsome kid with natural leadership, lots of charisma, and a real mean streak. While Griffin is the perfect bully, David Hallenback is the perfect victim: beaten down and willing to do anything to get Griffin's approval. At first, Eric is a bystander, not participating in the bullying but not doing anything to stop it. However, several events move him out of this passive role: Griffin steals from him and reveals Eric's confidences about his father; adults at school address bullying; and Mary, a girl he likes, takes a stand against it. Eric realizes that his silence makes him complicit and speaks out, only to become Griffin's next victim. Preller has perfectly nailed the middle school milieu, and his characters are well developed with authentic voices. The novel has a parablelike quality, steeped in a moral lesson, yet not ploddingly didactic. The action moves quickly, keeping readers engaged. The ending is realistic: there's no strong resolution, no punishment or forgiveness. Focusing on the large majority of young people who stand by mutely and therefore complicitly, this must-read book is a great discussion starter that pairs well with a Holocaust unit."Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2009
Grades 5-8 Bully stories often tend to be one-note workouts, and although Preller keeps his story focused on this theme, he strikes an unusually complex chord of the various sides of the abuse of power and the strong manipulating the weak. When Eric moves to a new town in Long Island, he quickly sizes up the social order of his new seventh-grade class. Griffin, with a thousand-watt smile and undeniable charisma, sits at the top, while pudgy, annoying David is routinely trampled at the bottom. Griffin takes Eric into his group of friends, but it doesnt take long for Eric to recognize the creep beneath the charm. As Eric alternates between being a witness, accomplice, and victim, Preller displays a keen awareness of the complicated and often-conflicting instincts to fit in, find friends, and do the right thing. Although there are no pat answers, the message (that a bystander is hardly better than an instigator) is clear, and Prellers well-shaped characters, strong writing, and realistic treatment of middle-school life deliver it cleanly.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)