Customer Reviews

Bad Apple

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bad Apple was fairly predictable in it's plot in almost all areas with the exception of the most important one -- the did she or didn't she reveal. The back and forth of each step down the path to that ultimate revelation was well done. I personally didn't know if the affair happened, at what level and who initiated it until the very bitter end and I appreciated that fact. I liked that we got to see small glimpses of the truth but didn't know that it was. It made that part of the story more intriguing and enjoyable.

The different characters were equally interesting. Most particularly I had a strong reaction to the young bully Ruby created in Chelsea Patrick. Scorned after the dissolution of her former friendship with Tola she takes to tormenting her in the hallways,on her blog and just about anywhere she could possibly find. This young woman was spiteful, bitter and it seemed to me one step away from escalating into some form of violence. She also played a significant role in Tola's circumstances (which I will not spoil) with Mr. Mymer that furthered the progression of the story quite significantly.

On the other hand, I found the art as therapy angle to be a bit too convenient and sweet, particularly at the end of the book when the grand reveal and resolution was made public. The older woman who took Tola under her wing was a small part of the story but one that ended up glossing over. She was a means to an end but it was an end that was just kind of there.

Further, the budding romance between Tola and Seven was cute and added a much needed respite from the drama and dysfunction. Again, this was a small part of the larger whole but one that I appreciated. I also found the quirky neurotic sister who constantly sassed everyone to be fun as well, she brought a slight humor to the events.

All in all Bad Apple was a quick and entertaining read one that is safe for laterr aged pre-teen and teen aged readers interested in stories about high-school dynamics and navigating different types of relationships.

Tola Riley is not your typical teenager. She is enamored of fairy tales, loves art, and dyes her hair green. She's also somewhat smitten with her art teacher, Mr. Mymer, less a crush than an infatuation with an adult who takes her seriously and honors her ambitions. Ruby lays out the drama that ensues when Tola and her teacher are "caught" meeting at an art museum. Was it really a chance meeting? Through Tola's viewpoint and comments by others involved, including her sister, her enemy Chelsea Patrick, her potential new boyfriend Seven (yes, really, Seven) and others, we're let in on a world where it's hard to know who to believe.

Tola is likable not necessarily because you'd want to be her BFF, but because she follows her passions and, for the most part, doesn't care what the rest of the school thinks. She's also dealing with her grandfather being in the hospital and her mom suspicious of her every move, not to mention a blog all about how awful she is. In an age when cyberbullying clearly has deadly, real-life consequences, the most fascinating character here is actually Chelsea, a Mean Girl if ever there was one, who I was totally rooting for getting some comeuppance. Perhaps she does; I read to the end and feel Ruby leaves this open-ended, though she paints Chelsea as a perfect portrait of morals gone awry.

Like her previous YA novels, we have a main character who is judged for something she may or may not have done, that may or may not be fair. Sometimes we're meant to be on Tola's side, sometimes we're not, but throughout, she is a strong presence, proud, vibrant, artistic and memorable. Ruby raises questions about who should get a say when it comes to accusations of impropriety. Tola's way of dealing with all of it is through art, which opens a new world for her and allows her to have her say in a sideways, open-to-interpretation comeback that is very fitting to her character. This is an unusual, modern and provocative YA novel that offers a different take the theme of the student-teacher relationship, as well as the power of gossip to travel fast and furious.

To start off, Tola is accused of having an affair with her art teacher, Mr. Mymer. Except, that isn't the truth. Yet, no one believes her; her entire school goes ballistic over this "rumor" and Mr. Mymer ends up getting suspended from teaching and Tola cant do anything outside of school, her mother makes sure of that.

Tola is the average "weirdo" at her high school; she has a nose ring, green hair, and dresses with a unique sense of style. She is an "art freak." She creates paintings of what she sees in her dreams, but also from what she reads in her Grimm fairy tale book. Her family life isnt the best; her older sister Madge isnt in college because she is apparently taking a 'gap' year, but Tola later finds out that something is going on in her life as well. Her mom and dad got divorced a few years back, and her father married a woman Tola and Madge cant stand, the "evil stepmom." And her mother loves nontalking talking, they talk about things but not about the stuff that really matters. Everyone seems to be very distant from Tola, and it is quite sad. But Tola has her best friend, June, who is keeping her sane through this whole "affair problem." And there is Seven (yup, thats his name), Tola has always been intrigued by him and what percolates between them in this book is cute. Although I do wish there was more of a relationship between them, but what is said in the book with them both is fun to read.

We see the struggle Tola faces with her fellow students, mainly a girl named Chelsea Patrick. Chelsea was Tola's best friend up until a few years ago, and Tola knows that she is behind all this mess, but she wont admit that to anyone. Chelsea is a true biotch, at times you just want to go into the book and smack her in the face. And then there are others who say crude remarks to Tola about the alleged affair, and a little more than halfway through the book Tola has a pretty funny encounter with one of them. They are in the gym at her school and it involves the school jock, and a paddleball paddle...its a pretty awesome scene where Tola finally lashes back, and stops being the victim.

Laura Ruby "paints" all these amazing pictures while you read the book. Sure, Tola may be the artistic person in the book, but Ruby is behind it all. While reading this book you can picture everything that is going on, that is why it is such a good book. You can imagine everything taking place right in front of you, and who doesnt love that about a book? Bad Apple definitely does that for you.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and at times I found myself laughing out loud. And at other times, I wished I could be there for Tola, to support her in the difficult situations she has to deal with. It is a great story of a girl finally able to find her voice and speak up for herself. I recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about characters finding themselves, and to those who loves a happy 'fairy tale' ending.

-Arielle

Bad Apple has a perfectly weird sense of humor. For me it just worked. From Tola insisting on referring to her sister Tiffany as Madge to "Madge" being somewhat of a strange character herself. It really just worked for me, the author created a sassy, quirky, and awesome main character in Tola and a handful of other oddballs in the secondary characters.

I really liked the plot as well. Did something inappropriate happen between Tola and her art teacher or did someone lie or blow it out of proportion. What really happened? What is revealed is an intriguing web of gossip, mean girls, truth and lies, innocence and guilt. It sure gave me a lot to think about.

Another interesting thing about the book were quotes from characters after each chapter about stuff that had just been discussed in that chapter. It helped move along the story in an interesting way, how it was sort of outside of the actual story but at the same time not.

For me it's a rather detailed book with a lot of different layers! If you are looking for something bizarre and humorous Bad Apple might be a perfect fit for you!

Tola Riley is, well, unique to say the least. With her green hair, nose ring, and intense love of art, it is no wonder that she is so misunderstood by her high school peers.

There is one person though who just gets her: Mr. Mymer, her art teacher. While some people might not understand this relationship, Tola is fine with it, as she is so used to being misunderstood.

When her relationship with Mr. Mymer gets blown out of proportion though, Tola finds herself in the middle of a scandal. Even though she tries to tell everyone the truth, no one will believe her and she continues through the year as an even bigger misfit. On top of this, Tola consistently deals with multiple family problems, friend problems, and of course the day-to-day issues of just being a teenager.

I have to say that the author, Laura Ruby, has the teenage personality down to a T. Tola was very real and I had no problem envisioning her as a person. Ms. Ruby did a really good job making the reader feel connected to the characters, playing on the reader's heartstrings and making them truly connect with Tola. However, while I felt that Tola was well-developed, none of the other supporting characters were developed at all. Yes, there were a few minutes where they almost felt real, but then they seemed to fall right back into the pages.

The author did create a very interesting plot. It took a different perspective on the whole student-teacher affair, which seems to be a theme that has become very popular in YA books. I also really enjoyed how the plot looked at how one event in a family can affect each member differently. Overall, the storyline was very realistic and I could easily picture this same situation happening in many high schools.

I liked this book. The ending was absolutely fabulous, probably the best part of the book, and had me in fits of laughter. I look forward to checking out Laura Ruby's other books and I highly suggest you check out BAD APPLE when you are looking for some very realistic teen fiction.

Reviewed by: Tasha

Bad Apple is bizarre and eccentric, yet I simply adored it.

Bad Apple tells the tale of Tola, a slightly weird and cynical girl dealing with a boatload of problems. For one, everyone in her small town is convinced she had an affair with her art teacher, Mr. Mymer; for two, Mr. Mymer is now suspended because of it; for three, Tola never had an affair with Mymer and that's what she's says, but no one believes her; and lastly, her dad's acting like a jerk, her sister's having a mental breakdown, her step dad's obsessed with his car, and her mom seems to hate her. Leaving Bad Apple to turn into one bad apple of situation almost as soon as possible, but also leave room for some comic relief and interesting events that would manage to have any reader hooked.

Even though I would be one the first to admit Tola was a bit strange, I still really liked her and found her story to be addictive. I liked the fact that she was brave when it came to standing up to the "mean girl" in this, and I also feel that most could relate to her feeling that she's never really listened too. One of my favorite parts of her character was her love of art, because it lead to a lot of interesting moments, thoughts, and situations in the book, ones that sometimes even included Grim fairy tales. I also liked her friendship with Seven, who seemed adorable, and June, a control freak obsessed with all things school.

The plot of this was attention-grabbing and fast paced. I always find the whole 'teacher/student' relationship scandals to be interesting because of seeing the motivations and reasons behind their actions, and thankfully that was present in Bad Apple. One of my favorite parts of the novel was the fact that it always kept me guessing about what really happened between Mymer and Tola, if anything all because it provided for tension, tension, and more tension. Also, I thought the add-on of the "comments" section was cleaver because it allowed for the reader to see more than one person's reaction to the situation.

Lastly, Ruby's writing always provided to have the plot developments and characters fully fleshed out and kept the story moving at a rapid pace.

In all, Bad Apple is an addicting, witty, and cleaver story of one girl's decision to tell the truth no matter what. I can't wait to read more by Ruby!

Grade: B+

Tola Riley is used to being the subject of attention at school. After all, she likes piercings, green hair, fairy tales and art --- not a recipe for making best friends with the "in" crowd. Tola doesn't care, though; she has her best friend, June, and her art teacher, Mr. Mymer. But when somebody starts a vicious rumor, Mr. Mymer is suspended and Tola has to face suspicion and accusation everywhere she turns. Talented author Laura Ruby, who took on the issue of "sexting" before it was even a word in GOOD GIRLS, once again forces readers to think about the truth and the people living behind the hyped-up media stories and issues.

Life wasn't exactly easy for Tola before the storm hit, but now she feels like a princess in an untouchable tower. She's keen on the authentic Grimm's Fairy Tales, full of violence and mayhem --- images she projects in her paintings. Her father is a painter, but she never sees him anymore; she and her sister, Madge, were not even invited to his wedding. So when she starts having lunch in the art studio and talking to Mr. Mymer, she feels like she finally has someone who understands her and with whom she can confide. But a chance meeting at a museum on a weekend where they both happened to be sparks a rumor, sending all that is good in her life into a downward spiral.

The catalyst behind Tola's misery is Chelsea. The two used to be good friends but parted ways before high school when Chelsea wanted to start meeting the friends she had made online, and Tola refused. This propelled Chelsea into terrible situations, and she sees Tola as the one at fault. As payback, she starts a blog and pretends to be Tola in order to keep the rumors and scandals about Tola and Mr. Mymer going. Tola has no proof that Chelsea is behind all her problems, but readers are allowed a glimpse into this troubled girl's life and motivation.

The only one not buying into the lies is Tola's Grandpa Joe, who listens when she insists nothing inappropriate was going on with Mr. Mymer. He believes in her and her painting, and offers the only encouragement she is getting now. Her mother and stepfather do not discuss it directly but make her come home right after school and stay there. Her mother also leads a campaign to get Mr. Mymer fired. Tola tries to speak up at the board meeting and insist that nothing happened, but it's no use.

Plenty of stories about teachers being inappropriate with teens are true, but in BAD APPLE someone has made false accusations just for the fun of it. Tola finds a way to move on from being the school victim with an artistic triumph, but the lack of justice at the end is realistic for the situation. The story is really about Tola and her family, and readers will be rooting for her to find a way to heal. All other characters are vivid actors on the stage with Tola and help show her struggle; for example, at one point, funny friend June questions if anything really did happen with Mr. Mymer, a doubt that Tola finds exasperating while June is trying to be supportive.

While Tola finds herself in her search to be heard, Mr. Mymer's career will not be the same again in this compelling, insightful story. Laura Ruby's characters will resonate with readers days after they've finished the final pages.

--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio