Bleed

Bleed by Laurie Faria Stolarz

From Amazon:
Over the course of a single summer day, ten teenagers in Salem, Massachusetts, will discover important truths about themselves and each other.

There is Nicole, whose decision to betray her best friend will shock everyone, most of all herself; Kelly, who meets the convicted felon she has been writing to for years; Maria, whose definition of a true friend is someone who will cut her. Then there is Sadie, a chubby eleven-year-old whose mother forces her to wear a "please don't feed me" sign stapled to her shirt; while Joy, a fifteen-year-old waitress hoping for true intimacy narrowly escapes a very dark fate. Derik discovers that his usual good looks and charm won't help him hold onto the girl he wants, while nineteen-year-old drifter, Mearl, is desperately looking for a place to call home. Sean is torn between his loyalty to his girlfriend and the possibility of finding something more with her friend, while Ginger's single-minded pursuit to bring down her nemesis only proves that they may be more alike than she thought. Seamlessly woven together, this incredibly powerful and compelling collection of stories chronicles the very real trials of today's teen experience.

5.5/10

When I got this book in the mail I had totally forgotten that I bought it (I do that a lot) and my first thought was "crap..this is going to be another "Are you there God its me Margaret". Well good or bad...this isnt quite a Judy Blume book.

Its a fast book...and it kept me interested. I finished it in one day. Thats really all I can say about it. All thats good anyway.

Each chapter is told from a different perspective. And there wasnt really one that I liked. I did identify with Sadie. She was the 11 year old whose mother pinned a note to her clothes everyday that said "Please dont feed Sadie" Maybe I would have liked it if this was Sadies story.

I guess I just dont like so many voices. (see Oral History below) I need more than one chapter of someone to find out if Im with them....and at the end of this one I just wasnt with anyone. (Except for unfortunately Sadie)
Its definitely written for young ones. Im not really recommending it...but at least if you want to its not too much of an investment (225 pages)