Until It Hurts to Stop

July 29, 2013
Although many readers will relate to Maggie Camden’s insecurities, which result from the fact that she was bullied in middle school, some—like Maggie’s best girlfriend Sylvie—may be frustrated by her inability to move on with her life. By age 17, Maggie’s situation has improved considerably. The taunting has stopped, and she has found a niche for herself, hanging out with Sylvie and hiking with Nick, the boy she secretly likes. Still, Maggie feels inadequate (“How could I forget Raleigh’s words about how I make guys gag?”). When her chief tormentor moves back to town, Maggie is overcome by the fear of being targeted again. Her all-consuming worries make her unable to trust friendly overtures from classmates, support Sylvie when her friend needs her most, and become romantically involved with Nick. Hubbard (Try Not to Breathe) persuasively conveys the depth of Maggie’s despair and the lingering pain bullying inflicts, but other elements of the novel come across as artificial. It is never clear why Maggie was victimized to begin with, and her archenemy feels manufactured, as does Maggie’s eventual rebound. Ages 12–up. Agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown.

August 15, 2013
A quiet, insightful look into the aftermath of bullying through the eyes of a former victim. Maggie is 17 now, but she still feels the effects of the torment she experienced in junior high school. When Raleigh Barringer, the popular girl who orchestrated physical, verbal and digital attacks against Maggie, returns to Maggie's high school after living in Italy, the teen is terrified. Details of Raleigh's past actions are revealed slowly over the course of the narrative. Through each relationship in Maggie's life, readers see how Raleigh's bullying has left an impact. As the book begins, Maggie and her close friend Nick are developing romantic feelings for each other. After they kiss, Maggie remembers Raleigh telling her that no boy would ever like her, so readers will likely realize long before Maggie does that Nick's interest is genuine. More subtly drawn is the rift that grows between Maggie and her friend Sylvie. Maggie is so certain that everyone besides herself is happy and well-adjusted that she neglects Sylvie's troubles with her girlfriend. Maggie and Nick climb tough mountains as a hobby, and the hazards and triumphs of their climbs are gripping and emotionally resonant. Well-crafted, though it treads some familiar ground. (Fiction. 12-18)

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December 1, 2013

Gr 8-11-In junior high, Maggie Camden was subjected to bullying-vicious taunts that continue to haunt her four years later. Raleigh Barringer, who tormented her, moved away, but as the novel opens, Raleigh returns, stoking Maggie's memories of the harassment. Although Raleigh appears to ignore her now that they're in high school, Maggie can't seem to shake her dread. It's a little hard to believe that anyone so fearful would also be an A student with complementary extracurriculars, the piano and mountain climbing. Maggie's rebuilt confidence relies heavily on Nick Cleary, her hiking buddy and best friend, although the challenges they face on the trail aren't as interesting as their conversations on the ground. Her other worry, besides Raleigh, concerns a recent urge to kiss Nick. Thus the tension of this smart novel is within Maggie, and not between her and the societal problem of bullying.-Georgia Christgau, Middle College High School, Long Island City, NY

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2013
Grades 9-12 Compared to the traumas of middle school, high school is a good place for Maggie. Here she has friends, hobbies, and even a possible love interest in Nick, her hiking buddy. Together, they rise to the challenge of rigorous walks in the woods and climbs in the mountains. Yet it's a kiss that undoes their blossoming relationship, an ill-timed moment that corresponds with the arrival of Maggie's former bully, Raleigh, back from living abroad. Maggie's self-esteem plummets, and she loses the courage to let Nick know how she feels. Hubbard demonstrates the intense fear, paranoia, and dread that can paralyze victims of bullying long past the days of actual incidents. Maggie is nothing short of haunted by her past with Raleigh; memories come flooding back to her with the startling clarity and venom of PTSD flashbacks. The stuttering, burgeoning romance between Maggie and Nick becomes the backdrop to a more important love story, that of Maggie and herself. Readers will fall for this thoughtful, expansive, and tender offering.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)