RELEASE DAY/BOOK REVIEW: "Scarred" by Elizabeth Montgomery

For those of us who come into the world different, we see it for what it really is.
Harsh.
Avery Chamberlin is special, unique. Beautiful words to gloss over the fact that she is different. She has never felt like she fit in. Why should she?
She was reminded on a daily basis that she was not like her peers.
Flawed. Damaged. A freak.
Avery will have to come out of her shell to prove that even the bullies have their own insecurities.
LIFE ISN’T ABOUT LABELS.

I received an advance copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

If you have never been bullied, you might not  quite understand the magnitude of the effect it has on the human (especially the hormonal teenage) psyche. In this day and age, the bullying isn't just name calling in the school hallways, it's on the Internet, destroying your life and following you day and night. It makes you have anxiety, depression and, as seen in the news, it makes you suicidal. Bullying, cyber or otherwise, is a serious issue, and Scarred discusses it with plain simplicity and a lot of heart.
Two different types of kids are being bullied here: a girl who is disfigured, and a homosexual boy. The story is told by Avery, a girl born with what is described like a cleft palate. All her life she has been bullied, and it has taken an immense toll on her mental health. It takes an attack on her best friend, Dylan, and one special classmate to help her stand up and not be a victim anymore.
This book was a stunning work. It wasn't embellished, it didn't have characters you pitied: instead, it had characters you love and want to raise up high and say, "You are beautiful. You are normal."
It also shows a bit of the bully's side, about how some bullies aren't born mean, but instead have so many terrible issues of their own, they have no other way to lash out but to bully.
Karma plays a big part on the narrative, but I can't say much more, because I don't want to ruin the book for you. It shows the compassion of a victim, the strength they have and the love they can spread because they know what it's like to be different, to be treated like a leper.
This book is beautiful. Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, should be reading this. Touching, realistic and so well-written.

5/5--a wonderful, touching tale of bullies, victims and acceptance.




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