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NEW YA NOVEL HONES IN ON GROWING ISSUE OF CYBER BULLYING AMONGST TEENS
Pieces of Us is the second book from award-winning author Margie Gelbwasser
January 2012 – More than half of teens today have experienced cyber bullying. It’s a very real, and growing, issue, one that is highlighted in award-winning author Margie Gelbwasser’s newest young adult novel PIECES OF US (Flux Books, March 8, 2012).
“When I was a teen, people spread rumors about people all the time. And what they said was hurtful and untrue, and this was just words—no Internet then, no texting, no videos, etc.” said Gelbwasser, whose home state of New Jersey just last year enacted an anti-bullying law. “I thought this book was important to write for all the teens out there who have gotten hurt by words that went viral, that reached heights words were not able to reach in the past. And I wanted people to see how one action can affect others.”
An excellent piece of literature to help teens who are navigating through difficult social waters – like cyber bullying, dating violence and sexual abuse – PIECES OF US is also an engaging story for both male and female readers. The narrative is told through four points of view, including an angry teenage boy whose father committed suicide, his younger brother who suffers from his older sibling’s abuse, a high school over achiever with a sad secret, and her jealous little sister. They are all spending the summer at a lakeside community in upstate New York, where they are able to leave behind their old identities and escape from their everyday lives. But when the one girl’s secret gets out, each teen is forced to face reality – before it tears them to pieces.
Kirkus Reviews called PIECES OF US “suspenseful, disturbing and emotionally fraught, a strong novel for a strong stomach.”
Gelbwasser’s book launch comes on the heels of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month in February and just before National Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, both disturbingly real issues addressed through character’s stories in PIECES OF US. “If you are being digitally abused or know someone who is, tell a school counselor, teacher, or the principal. The police may need to be involved as well,” Gelbwasser said. She suggests three websites to go to for more information and online support groups: That’s Not Cool (www.thatsnotcool.com), A Thin Line (www.athinline.org) and Wired Safety (www.wiredsafety.org).
Gelbwasser’s first novel, INCONVENIENT, was named a 2011 Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Teens. Editor of her high school and college literary magazines, she graduated in English at The College of New Jersey and earned her masters from William Paterson University. As a freelancer for Self, Ladies’ Home Journal and Girl’s Life, Gelbwasser lives in Fair Lawn, NJ with her husband and son. She is an adjunct English professor and also leads creative writing classes for teens and adults.
Website: http://www.margiewrites.com/
Twitter: @MargieGelb and Facebook: Pieces of Us
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In few words, ALL bullying hurts e verywhre–at home, in schools, in the workplace, in the world.