“I'd read this book many years ago, but I didn't remember much about it, so I decided to read it again. I found it to be a painful and unpleasant read. The children in the story are cruel, and their actions are downright criminal. The main character Jill, although not the ringleader, gleefully joins in the torment of a classmate, so I didn't feel her pain when the tables turned and she became the target. I also found the ending unsatisfying. Although Jill stands up for herself against the class leader, there is no indication that she feels any remorse about her own bullying.
Reading Judy Blume is hit or miss. Some of her books, such as ARE YOU THERE, GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET, are wonderful and insightful, while others miss the mark.”