With her martyr-doctor mother gone to save lives in some South American country, Poe Holly suddenly finds herself on the suburban doorstep of the father she never knew, who also happens to be a counselor at her new high school. She misses Los Angeles. She misses the guys in her punk band. Weirdly, she even misses the shouting matches she used to have with her mom. But Poe manages to find a few friends: Theo, the cute guy in the anarchy Tshirt, and Velveeta, her oddly likeable neighbor—and a born victim who’s the butt of every prank at Benders High. But when the pranks turn deadly at the hands of invincible football star Colby Morris, Poe knows she’s got to fix the system and take down the hero. With insightfulness, spot-on dialogue, and a swiftly paced plot, Michael Harmon tells the story of a displaced girl grappling with a truly dangerous bully.
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"Poe Holly is one of the toughest, most straight-up, in-your-face heroines I've read about in a while. Yeah, she may be hypocritical and a chip off the old mom's block, but her actions do show the hypocrisy of the adults at Benders Hollow High and the need for change. "
— Maureen (4 out of 5 stars)
" Poe can be a little harsh but overall she means well. Try not to give up on her too soon into the book. Brutal makes you think about who really needs to change things to stop bullying. Overall, coolness, a 7 out of 10. "
— Yesenia, 2/17/2014" I'm on a quest to read the Florida Teens Read list before school starts and this book is my favorite so far. Cute YA book about bullying, fighting back and recognizing your own shortcomings. "
— Mary, 2/16/2014" It started off kind of slow, but I loved the book. "
— Leigh, 1/15/2014" Excellent, insightful, thought provoking book about a high school "punk" girl who tries to right wrongs and learns a lot about herself and her family in the process. I really enjoyed this book! It was a great read! "
— Jennifer, 1/10/2014" Addresses the hot issue of bullying. The violence in the story repeats what happens in many high schools across the country and may make some readers think. The turn-around of popular girl Anna seems unlikely, though, and adult characters in the story are all flat and unresponsive. "
— Susan, 12/12/2013" Good book showing the horrors of bullying. Directed mostly towards teen readers. "
— Deb, 12/6/2013" The main character's name was Poe. She seemed to be a lot more together than most of the teenagers I come into contact with...maybe she is gifted. Enjoyed the story and its view that schools perpetuate cliques. "
— Brandi, 11/21/2013" It's a pretty good read. The ending was a little bit of a let down but oh well. I love books about rebel, outcasts, and nonconformists so it was right up my ally. "
— Cali, 11/10/2013" very very good. made me want to keep reading. "
— Teighlor, 10/17/2013" I really liked this book. The main character is strong and outspoken, but learns how to get along with others. Also, the issue of bullying is dealt with well. "
— Amber, 10/7/2013" FINISHED!!!! I fonoshed the book! omg that was so good!!!! I loved that book!!!!! wow that author did an amazing job!!! you know, it must have been hard writing it in a girl's point of view seeing as in he's a man....hmmmm i wish i could ask him. that was awesome!!! "
— Taylor, 9/2/2013" I think this is a must read for teachers. It shows that we sometimes create a negative place for our students by ignoring what is going on around us. "
— Mikael, 5/8/2013" In the beginning, I hated Poe, but as she started to evolve as a character and realize her mistakes, that's when she got less annoying and more thoughtful. Thats when I started to like her. Loved the character of Veleveeta. "
— Annaliese, 9/24/2012" I really enjoyed this JH/HS level book. It was funny and witty. The content is very relatable to teens (acceptance, anti-social behavior, rebellion, etc.), but it is not too harsh and overly done. "
— Jaime, 5/6/2012" this had to be the absolute best realistic fiction ive ever set my eyes to read & stars "
— Kaitlyn, 5/5/2012" A high-school girl moves to a new town and finds herself fighting school policy that she believes creates the cliques and class systems within the student body. "
— Kelli, 4/12/2012" Strong female main character! GOOD! Not sure all bullying can be or should be handled her way though. Realistically it just doesnt happen that way. "
— Cathy, 2/12/2012" Almost as good as Last exit to normal. I have become a Michael Harmon fan. "
— Ilove2read, 11/14/2011" Poe Holly is one of the toughest, most straight-up, in-your-face heroines I've read about in a while. Yeah, she may be hypocritical and a chip off the old mom's block, but her actions do show the hypocrisy of the adults at Benders Hollow High and the need for change. "
— Maureen, 7/19/2011" it was very smart and funny very good "
— Zeynab, 5/17/2011" Too much explaining.....let the reader figure it out. Kids are smarter than this author gives them credit for being. <br/> "
— Eileen, 4/21/2011" This book was pretty good! Just a warning to younger kids (like below middle school): this book contains some language and a few inappropriate scenes! "
— Brielle, 4/16/2011" It started off kind of slow, but I loved the book. "
— Leigh, 4/11/2011" Strong female main character! GOOD! Not sure all bullying can be or should be handled her way though. Realistically it just doesnt happen that way. "
— Cathy, 4/3/2011" Addresses the hot issue of bullying. The violence in the story repeats what happens in many high schools across the country and may make some readers think. The turn-around of popular girl Anna seems unlikely, though, and adult characters in the story are all flat and unresponsive. "
— Susan, 3/31/2011" Finally, a book that acknowledges the severity of bullying and the point that it can escalate to. "
— Nicole, 3/10/2011" I really liked this book. The main character is strong and outspoken, but learns how to get along with others. Also, the issue of bullying is dealt with well. <br/><br/> "
— Amber, 2/8/2011" This seriously reminded me of my high school days. Except I wasn't as intelligent or well informed as Poe. "
— Emily, 2/8/2011" Poe can be a little harsh but overall she means well. Try not to give up on her too soon into the book. Brutal makes you think about who really needs to change things to stop bullying. Overall, coolness, a 7 out of 10. "
— Yesenia, 1/24/2011" Adored the characters (especially Theo) "
— Jordyn, 12/17/2010" Almost as good as Last exit to normal. I have become a Michael Harmon fan. "
— Ilove2read, 12/16/2010Kim Mai Guest is an award-winning voice actor for audiobooks and video games. She can also be heard on television shows, such as G.I. Joe: Renegades, Batman: the Brave and the Bold, and Avatar, and in movies such asChill Out Scooby Doo and Dead Space: Aftermath. Her video game work includes Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, and The Lord of the Rings.