Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah feels like the best part of The Breakfast Club (the hallway running scene where Wang Chung’s “Fire in the Twilight” blares as the students try to avoid Principal Vernon) in novel form.
Those who love stories about misfits or complete strangers coming together to achieve a common goal (and befriend each other in the process) will want to pick up this book.
About ‘Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah’
Andi used to be the popular girl. The center of attention. Now, she’s the school rebel and resident wild child. Dreadlocks, tattoos, stolen items… These things make her happy.
York used to be a football player, but now he takes (but mostly gives) hits off the field. Bigger and stronger is better, so York uses that to his advantage.
Boston is just biding his time, keeping his head low and excelling in all of his classes. He can’t wait to leave home and flourish at an Ivy League school.
Sam has always been an outsider (and she prefers it that way). To be invisible is to fly under the radar. To avoid ridicule and questions about her scars.
These four teens never thought they’d be caught dead together, but, after the party they’re at gets busted by cops and the night takes a dangerous turn, their only chance of survival is to stick and work together. Told from the perspective of Sam, the “Pariah,” Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah is an exciting ride from start to finish.
‘Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah’ review
Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah is such a fun and interesting character piece that is hard to put down. While there is action and excitement (what with the teens being on the run), the best parts of the book are the intimate character moments. The moments where the teens get to breathe and really interact with each other on a personal level (instead of on a fight-or-flight/survivalist level).
The characters’ relationships to and interactions with each other are really organic. They don’t feel forced. Yes, they’re all stuck in a strange situation together but they don’t band together all that quickly. They don’t become fast friends. More than that, they have doubts and hesitations about each other all the way through to the end of the book.
Do the teens bond and find similarities between each other? Of course. Do they start to form relationships? You bet. But at no point do they make friendship bracelets and hug it out. The beauty of the characterizations in this book is how they evolve without changing the essence of the characters. But, at the same time, it becomes more and more apparent as the book goes on that the teens aren’t as different as they think.
Because of the emphasis on characterization and relationship-building, the catalyst event takes a sort of back seat (but in the best way possible). While the four teens are trying to figure out what’s going on and how to survive the night, Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah isn’t an all-out mystery or action/adventure. Yes, the situation with the cops in the woods (and the events that unfold after that) are thrilling, but you’ll find yourself aching for more quiet character scenes rather than answers to the mystery.
This is especially true when it comes to the ending. Once the book hits its climax, everything starts happening really quickly. The pace picks up so much that intimate character interactions take a backseat to the plot. While this is normal, it makes the last scene of the book feel a little unfounded in terms of character relationships. Though that’s a little disappointing, it’s also a testament as to how much Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah makes the reader invested in these characters and their relationships.
The only other small disappointment of Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah is the fact that, while it focuses on four very different and very intriguing teens, it’s only told through the perspective of one person. The book’s summary and initial structure make it seem like the narration would be switching perspectives, which would have been a great benefit in order to really get to know all of the characters and their motivations. However, if the book had to be told through only one perspective, telling the story through Sam’s perspective was definitely the way to go.
All in all, Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah is a fun and interesting adventure. It has the perfect balance of action and characterization, as well as strength and vulnerability. Fans of The Breakfast Club and character-driven novels will really enjoy it.
Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah by Erin Jade Lange is available now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and your local independent bookstore. Also, don’t forget to add it to your Goodreads “to read” list!