I Swear

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Who's to blame when bullying leads to suicide? A gripping exploration of crucial importance seeks answers in and out of the courtroom.After years of abuse from her classmates, Leslie Gatlin decided she had no other options and took her own life. Now her abusers are dealing with the fallout. When Leslie's parents file a wrongful death lawsuit against their daughter's tormenters, the proceedings uncover the systematic cyber bullying and harassment that occurred. The ringleader of the accused girls, Macie, maintains they are innocent. In her mind, Leslie chose be the coward they always knew she was. Jillian, Katherine, and Beth try to keep their stories straight and shift the blame, as Jake, Leslie's only true friend, tries to make sense of what happened. As the events leading up to her death unfold, it becomes clear that Leslie may have taken her own life, but her bullies took everything else.Told in alternating perspectives and through well-paced flashbacks, this timely novel sheds light on both the victims of bullying and the consequences bullies face.Review"This searing page turner explores the psyches and actions of a group of high school students whose merciless cruelty drives fellow classmate to commit suicide. A riveting read on an important topic." - Kirkus Reviews (August 1, 2012)From the Back Cover"I had a bad feeling about all this. Leslie had been bullied. I knew it. Macie knew it. We knew, because we'd done the bullying. Macie could spin it all she wanted, but at the end of the day, now there was tape of her lying about what went on.I stepped back as Macie crowded forward toward the rush of mics. If you think I'm going down with this ship, you don't know me very well."