Bitter End [Hardcover]

Jennifer Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 10, 2011

When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole -- a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her -- she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate . . . someone who truly loves and understands her.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her close friend Zack, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all her time with another boy? As the months pass, though, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats.

As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose -- between her "true love" and herself.

Editorial Reviews

Review

* "Brown demonstrates an expert ability to handle difficult subject matter....entirely authentic. The book's power--and its value--comes from the honest portrayal of characters who simply can't figure out how to bring an ugly, evident truth to light." (Publishers Weekly, starred review )

* "Brown's writing flows smoothly and naturally...will linger on readers' minds long after the story is completed."
(VOYA, starred review )

"Brown tackles another taboo but much-discussed topic with authority and authenticity....readers will be enthralled." (Kirkus )

"Brown creates multifaceted characters as well as realistic, insightful descriptions of Alex's emotions....A tough but important addition to the YA romance shelves." (Booklist )

About the Author

When not writing about serious subjects, Jennifer Brown, a two-time winner of the Erma Bombeck Global Humor Award, is a columnist for the Kansas City Star. She lives in Missouri with her husband and three children. She is the author of Hate List.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (May 10, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316086959
• ISBN-13: 978-0316086950
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 1.4 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #593,966 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An important story May 14, 2011

By J. Prather TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I picked up Bitter End with no clue about it's theme or story, I just knew that I loved Jennifer Brown's previous novel Hate List so much that this one had to be good. It did not disappoint. Bitter End is the tale of a young girl named Alex who falls in love with Cole, the new boy at school. The story of their relationship is filled with violence, guilt, despair and even love. It's a powerful novel that I wish I could make every young girl read before they start dating. There are valuable lessons to be learned here as the author takes an almost textbook look at the characteristics of an abusive relationship.

Alex is a well rounded character, and even though she comes from a troubled family, the author has taken great pains to establish her as a fairly typical teen. Her two best friends play an important role in the story, and serve to point out that even though Alex has a support system in her life, she still falls into some pretty common traps. Any teen reader will easily be able to see a bit of themselves in these characters. It will perhaps make them uncomfortable as it will cause many to re-think their attitudes of "this could never happen to me".

If I have any complaint about this novel, it's that it gets off to a rather slow start as the author works to establish her characters. It took me a while to get to know Alex, and I really didn't understand some of her feelings concerning her mom and dad until pretty much the end of the book.

In sum, this is an important story that succeeds in dealing with the issue of domestic violence in a way that places it firmly in a realistic teen universe. Alex is a great character, and her struggles are heartbreaking and honest. The story is never heavy handed simply because of Alex's strong, authentic narrative voice. We get a ringside seat here to witness a catastrophic relationship and Brown lets us follow it unflinchingly to the bitter end. Recommended.

Note: A short question and answer section about domestic abuse plus information about how to get help if you are being abused are included at the end of this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not recommended September 25, 2011

By bookworm1858 VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

My younger sister actually checked this book out of the library because she likes darker YA. Although she didn't like this, I decided to give it a try because I knew how acclaimed Jennifer Brown's Hate List was. Well, I should have listened to my sister.

The relationship between main character Alex and her abusive boyfriend Cole was well-done. Alex is vulnerable and craving love after the death of her mother and the splintering of her family. Cole seems charming and also a product of a broken home, meaning that they seem to understand each other. Cole loves her poetry, she loves his music, and everything seems great. Except of course for my feelings of dread as I knew the book was about an abusive relationship.

Besides the inherent brutality of a physically abusive relationship, which was very hard to read (I may have done some skimming), these kinds of books are hard for me to read because I want to believe that people can change, that mistakes are made but also learned from. But Cole has been an abuser in at least three relationships and seems unlikely to change, which is just so sad to see in a human being. As you may be able to see, I wanted to like Cole because he did have the ability to be very charming even as his true colors were revealed. And he did have make some good points.

Because I agreed with Cole about Alex's friends-they suck. They are immature and annoying. It seemed like they were friends because they had all lived next to each other and had known each other for ages; are proximity and history really good reasons to be friends? Bethany was shockingly nondescript for someone who is supposed to be a best friend. I could not form a picture of her and I would forget about her whenever she wasn't around.

Meanwhile Zach was so annoying, way too flirty, and from what the book showed, obviously in love with Alex. Why was he always trying to tickle and touch her? Obviously Cole's expression of his uncomfortableness with Zach was taken too far but I would have been uncomfortable with such a flirty relationship between my boyfriend and his female friend. Additionally Zach finds out early about some of Cole's bad traits but instead of trying to have a sober conversation with Alex, he attempts to threaten Cole and just tells Alex that Cole's a jerk. Nothing to support that accusation and it did make Zach look like the bad guy. I think there's a problem when the reader hates the friends who are supposed to help the abusee more than the actual abuser.

This book just did not work for me; I would recommend Stay by Deb Caletti and especially Dreamland by Sarah Dessen for a superior reading experience (My sister, also agrees with me on these recommendations-so that's two of us urging you to read these other books.)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful February 12, 2012

By brandileigh2003

Format:Hardcover

This is a very powerful book, and it's about an issue that is close to my heart. I can see some of the same things in myself and in the main character of my book, Meredith that I see in the main character of Bitter End, Alex.
Ms. Brown really nailed what makes it possible to fall in love with the abuser, and what it takes to stay there. I think at a distance, anyone can say that would never happen to them, but truth is that it can happen so much easier than anyone things. It doesn't have to be necessarily physical abuse, although they are usually linked, but it can be harsh words, isolation, or constant assault of character and looks. This never comes out on the first day--it builds slowly until you feel that the guy is the only thing that's important, the only one who understand and loves you.
I saw this through Alex, and really felt along with her.
I like the secondary characters such as Bethany and Zack, and I really wish that I had, and that everyone has friends this close. True-there's the isolation and the tension, but at the end of the day, they are still there for her. I also really liked her boss, Georgia, I just wanted to give her a hug.
There is secondary plots, that is crucial to Alex discovering who she is like the quest to find out more about her mom, their trip to Colorado, and the different family dynamics that we get a peek at through the different characters.
This is a really powerful book and I recommend that everyone give it a read.