Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman

Backlash is a YA realistic fiction book showing the consequences of cyberbullying. Lara was friends with a boy named Christian on Facebook who went to a school nearby. They've talked online for weeks, becoming more than friends. But when he tells her that she's a loser and the world's better off without her, Lara attempts to end her life. It is soon discovered that Christian wasn't even real- it was a fake profile made by her former best friend, Bree. This book follows the events before and after the cyberbullying occurred, and its devastating effects on everyone involved.

I love how this book also shows the bully's prospective. Many assume that the bully is bad and deserves to be hated, or even bullied in response, like how everyone treated Bree afterwards. Bree wasn't an awful person, she just didn't think before she acted. A "fun" joke turned deadly, and not even Bree wanted that to happen. Readers got to see how it deeply affected her and her family.

I also enjoyed how the book gave a timeline of events, switching back and forth between the present and the past, as well as multiple POV's. While I originally thought it would be confusing, it definitely was not. I enjoyed Syd and Liam's voices (the siblings) as they were in a tricky spot being caught in the middle. I loved how the book teaches the consequences of cyberbullying and reminds readers that whatever you post or type can never be taken back.

I am glad that I bought this very eye-opening book and I highly recommend it!

Title: Backlash
Author: Sarah Darer Littman
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 336
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
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