Have you ever been bullied or teased? Have you been laughed at for being overweight, too tall or too short, too nerdy, or simply not cool enough to fit in? What if you could do something about it? What if you were offered a chance to join a secret group, one that would offer you understanding, support and friendship? And what if you could get revenge on all the people that humiliated you over and over again, hurt your feelings, smashed your confidence and dreams to pieces? Would you do it?
When Charlotte's father is offered a new job, the entire family moves to a different town. For Charlotte that means starting her senior year at a new school (which, obviously, is not easy), but also a new beginning and a chance to get away from Tiffany, a girl that bullied her at her previous school. But her hopes for a fresh start are dashed when she learns that Tiffany's family moved, too, and her tormentor will be attending the same school. Once again, Charlotte feels trapped, lonely and afraid. So when an opportunity presents itself to join a secret club called League Of Strays, Charlotte takes it, thinking she finally found a group of people she can trust and rely on. Little does she know the trouble she's getting herself into...
League Of Strays is a one of the most interesting novels I've read this year. Skilfully written, emotionally engaging, powerful, at times even deeply disturbing, it's a fascinating and complex creation. A story with a message that is extremely important and provocative, relevant and disquieting. Many books have been written about bullying, most of them from the perspective of the victim, some from the bully's point of view. League Of Strays is different from all of them, because it offers the reader an insightful look at both sides of the spectrum. And not only do we get to explore both sides of the story, but we can also see what happens when the bullied become bullies themselves. It's a book about misplaced trust, revenge, fear and peer pressure, loneliness, desperation and finding somewhere to belong. A story of people who are so hungry for attention, friendship, kindness and acceptance that they'll push their limits and do just about anything to get all that.
I found the characters to be extremely well developed. Some of them inspire sympathy, others (like Kade) are all too easy to hate and despise, in the end, though, all of them are essential to the story. L.B. gives them distinct personalities and talks about the motives behind their actions, their feelings, fears and hopes. She assigns each of them an important role to play and breathes life into their paper souls. I can't say that I liked them, but these characters are not meant to be liked or admired, they're real, flawed, lost and confused. You sympathize with them, you feel sorry for them, you get angry at them, you find yourself relating to them, but you don't really like them. Kade? Kade is a whole different story. He's a perfect anti-hero. Manipulative, charismatic, dangerous and cruel, he knows exactly what to say to get people to do what he wants them to do. Charming and caring on the outside, he's all rotten and evil on the inside. A true monster in disguise. I'd read this book just for this fascinating character alone!
There's no denying the fact that this is a book with a moral, an issue-driven story designed to teach the reader something about life and bring light to a very important topic: bullying in schools. Finding this message is up to you, though, as L.B. does not spoon-feed anything. To me, the message was clear: bullying is not OK. It's never OK, in any form or shape, even if bullying is a response to being bullied. Actions have consequences, no wrongdoing goes unpunished and, in the end, the story concludes in a very satisfactory way, but to get there you need to read all the way to the end, and you need to read with understanding. Nothing is obvious, things are not what they seem to be at a first glance, there are lies, deception and manipulation involved, and to see through all that, you really need to focus on the story and let it carry you away. I've seen way too many people misunderstand the message in this book and all I have to say to that is: no, this book does not in any way condone or promote homophobia or bullying. If you think it does, you have clear comprehension problems, or you're nitpicking at certain scenes in the book, taking them totally out of context.
L.B. Schulman's writing style is honest, raw and very smooth. It invokes many emotions, good and bad alike. Personally, I found League Of Strays to be absolutely unputdownable. Not only was I dying to find out how the story will end and when/if the revenge-madness will stop, but I was also genuinely scared for Charlotte and afraid of Kade's manipulative personality. I won't lie, this book was all kinds of creepy and disquieting, but never - not even for a minute - was it a meaningless, pointless kind of creepy and disquieting.
At less than 300 pages long, League of Strays is a fairly quick read, but also one that is sure to resonate deep within. It's the kind of story that stays with you long after you turn the final page. I myself was deeply affected by its profound message and couldn't stop thinking about the plot, the characters and the events depicted within its pages. L.B. Schulman did a remarkably great job shaking me out of my comfort zone. Her story sent cold shivers down my spine, made me wince and frown, pulled me deep into a very dark and unpleasant place. It's a thoroughly riveting blend of drama and thriller, and an unforgettable look at the nightmare side of high school. A brooding and unnerving piece of contemporary fiction that I highly recommend to fans of intelligent and provocative issue-books.
