Poison Ivy by Amy Koss

Poison Ivy: 3 bullies, 2 points of view, 1 trial by Amy Koss

The premise for this book is terrific, unfortunately it doesn't quite deliver, for the most part I thought it was okay, the characters a little underdeveloped and even the plot and theme get a fuzzy around the edges.

From the back cover:
When three popular girls go on trial in Government class for their ruthless bullying of a girl named Ivy, it seems like the misfit will finally get her revenge. Eight first-person narrators give different versions of the event: Ivy- the victim doesn't want revenge, she just wants to be left alone; Ann - she's the beautiful, bu infamously cruel, leader of the bullies; Marco- he may be the only person involved who has any morals, but he's also the target of Ann's persuasive affections; Daria- Ivy's painfully shy lawyer doesn't stand a chance; Bryce- the goofy court reporter knows all the real dirt, even if he doesn't care; Cameron- he sleeps through the proceedings but might wake up just in time to make a difference; Wayne- a true devotee of the legal process, too bad he's on the sidelines; and Faith- as the only witness for the prosecution, it all comes down to her. But where do her loyalties lie?

From Booklist - " The message is clear: beauty, popularity, and fear are the trinity by which girls rule, and although most teenagers aren't cruel, many are indifferent to the suffering of their peers and are thankful they aren't the ones in the spotlight"

From Publishers weekly: "The interaction among the students in and out of courtroom' offer readers intriguing and often disturbing perspectives on popularity, peer pressure, bullying and fairness"

So even though I didn't think this the strongest book of it's kind, I do think it stands the possibility of furthering discussion on what our roles are, how do we see ourselves and can we stand up for what we know is right at least occasionally.